One thing that every fan wishes they could go back and change was Alex Caruso signing with the Chicago Bulls in the offseason. Caruso was such a fundamental part of the Los Angeles Lakers success, making it hard to see him go on such a cheap contract.
The Lakers could have re-signed Caruso as the team had Bird Rights on the undrafted free agent. However, the team did not want to pay more on the tax bill than they already were. And while adding Caruso would have added much more in tax payments, this is a billion-dollar sports franchise. They can afford it.
But alas, the Lakers got cheap and the Bulls swooped in for Caruso’s services. Caruso has been fantastic for the Bulls this season and is proving to an entirely new fanbase that he was more than just the social media memes. He is a legitimately impactful player and is one of the five best defensive guards in the league.
Bulls fans know that the Lakers made a horrible decision with Caruso in the offseason and even the Bulls mascot, Benny the Bull, wants to rub it in. The Lakers took on Caruso and the Bulls for a second time this season, this time in Chicago, and Benny the Bull made sure to remind the Lakers of their mistake.
— Benny (@bennythebull) December 20, 2021
We would say that we are upset with Benny the Bull for trolling the Lakers but quite frankly, he isn’t wrong. The purple and gold are now one of the worst defensive teams in the league and could use an elite perimeter defender on a cheap contract.
Even Alex Caruso responds to the Bulls mascot trolling the Los Angeles Lakers.
This meme got the attention of Alex Caruso, who had a really good game against his former team on Sunday. Caruso dropped 17 points with nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. While Caruso has been more than appreciative of his time with the Lakers, he has to love the fact that it is so painstakingly clear that LA made a mistake.
Bro is this real? 😭Benny has no chill https://t.co/iA0Cd6m4m5
— Alex Caruso (@ACFresh21) December 20, 2021
LeBron James had a good game as well against the Bulls and sent plenty of love Caruso’s way after the game. LeBron posted a picture of the two on Instagram that Caruso re-posted on his story.
Laker fans might not even remember just how good LeBron and Caruso were on the court together. In fact, in the 2019-2020 championship season, LeBron and Caruso had the best net rating of any two-man combination in the entire league… even better than LeBron and Anthony Davis.
LeBron undoubtedly misses Alex Caruso, the fans undoubtedly miss Alex Caruso and the Lakers should undoubtedly miss Alex Caruso. It still stands as one of the worst decisions the team has ever made.