The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the best team in the entire league at not only finding hidden gems in unlikely places but developing those hidden gems and getting the most out of their potential.
For a long time, Alex Caruso was the gold standard example of this phenomenon in Los Angeles. Caruso, who was undrafted, rose from being a South Bay Lakers standout to being one of the most important players on the 2020 championship team.
Caruso paved the way for players like Austin Reaves, who has undergone a very similar arc as Caruso in Los Angeles and is also a fan favorite as a result. Unlike Caruso, though, the Lakers decided to keep Reaves around this summer with a big payday.
Los Angeles let Caruso walk in the 2021 offseason as he signed a four-year, $36.98 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. It made no sense at the time and still makes no sense as LA easily could have had both Caruso and Reaves on the roster.
The Lakers may have a chance to right their previous wrong via a trade.
While Caruso is definitely going to start the 2023-24 season on the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers should be monitoring how the season is going in Chicago. There is a lot of question marks about the future of the Bulls and they absolutely are a prime candidate to be sellers at the deadline.
If that is the case, the Lakers could try and right a wrong and bring Caruso back to LA via trade. It would not be the first time that Los Angeles has brought a former guard back via trade. Let’s not forget about D’Angelo Russell.
On the following pages, we are going to break down what the trade would likely have to look like as well as hand out grades to both teams involved.
What a Los Angeles Lakers trade for Alex Caruso would look like:
There is no doubt that Caruso would have trade value if he were to be shopped by the Chicago Bulls. However, the Bulls would be getting more in return for both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. There is a chance that Chicago could lump Caruso into either of those trades, but the Lakers should be able to send enough to get a deal done.
The Lakers likely aren’t going to trade a first-round pick for Caruso. As special as Caruso was, and while he is valuable, the Lakers do not have many future picks to send and the team is likely going to save those for a bigger deal in the future.
Instead, the Lakers could trade the player they just selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, Jalen Hood-Schifino. JHS undoubtedly has future potential in this league but at his age, he may not line up with the Lakers’ title window. It would be better for his career to go somewhere where he can actually play.
Cam Reddish would be thrown into the deal simply as salary filler. If Reddish has turned into an indispensable player at this point then the team could package another one of the young fliers (like Jaxson Hayes). As of right now, Reddish is probably the most disposable.
Chicago doesn’t do this trade if the team has any chance of making a run in the playoffs, even if it would be the smartest thing to do. For this to be a possibility, the Bulls have to be out of the playoff picture by the start of February.
Los Angeles Lakers grade for this Alex Caruso trade: A+
The Los Angeles Lakers do not have to make a superstar trade in order to capitalize on the championship window this season. There is a chance that the Lakers could try and swing big for a star but in reality, the Lakers should move around the edges.
It already seems clear that the team will shop D’Angelo Russell in some capacity. In a perfect world, the Lakers could flip Russell for some more frontcourt talent (maybe Myles Turner if he is being shopped again) and then make a trade like this to add depth back to the backcourt.
Caruso would pick up right where he left off in LA and would prove to be a valuable piece of the playoff rotation. His elite defense is extremely valuable and there is a real chance he could be in the closing lineup with Austin Reaves if this were to happen.
Not only does it make sense from a basketball standpoint but it would be great for the fanbase as well.
Chicago Bulls grade for this Alex Caruso trade: B-
The fact of the matter is that the Chicago Bulls would try and get more for Caruso if the team were to shop him. There are no guarantees that Chicago would get a better deal, hence why this is possible, but it certainly isn’t the best trade the Bulls could get.
But it all comes down to what the Bulls value. Would the team rather get a near-lottery pick that has a lot of potential in JHS and instantly start to develop him? Or would the team rather get a first-round pick from a contender who is going to end up being the 26th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?
The better option seems to be the former. It might not be exactly what Bulls fans would expect in a Caruso trade but it very well could be the best value out there.