It's been five years since the Los Angeles Lakers let Alex Caruso walk in free agency, a decision that they've regretted pretty much every day since then, especially last year, when he helped the Thunder win their second title. As LeBron James said on the Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, the guard is the kind of player who makes winning plays, no matter where he is.
"We always talk about Alex Caruso a lot. It's those certain guys that you can plug into any franchise, any team, and they're going to win because those guys make winning plays."
You know who could use a player like that? Technically speaking, every single team, but specifically, the Lakers. The Thunder aren't letting Caruso go anywhere this offseason, though, not even with their roster set to get a lot more expensive next season. They'll find other ways to trim their finances, rather than entertain the idea of trading him.
Oklahoma City is primed to make another championship run again next year, and Sam Presti knows that you need a player like Caruso to get there. If only Rob Pelinka had realized the same.
Years later, Lakers still miss Alex Caruso
You'd think that Caruso wouldn't still be an elite role player after all of the time that has passed since he left Los Angeles, but at 32 years old, he's still that guy.
Caruso averaged 6.2 points on 29.3% shooting from three in 56 games in the regular season, but he knows how to elevate his game in the playoffs. He was genuinely one of OKC's best players in the conference finals against San Antonio, averaging 14.9 points and 2.1 steals in 26.1 minutes per game, shooting 47.7% from the field and 50% from deep on 5.7 attempts.
He certainly isn't slowing down to the point where the Lakers can feel even the slightest bit better about letting him go. It may be another couple of years before they can get to that point.
Los Angeles is building its roster around Luka Dončić this summer, and it could really use a Caruso or two in its quest to win a title with the superstar guard. Those players aren't easy to come by, though. If only the Lakers saw what was right in front of them, instead of letting the ideal role player slip right through their fingers, only to end up with the team that will be one of the main roadblocks LA will probably have to make it past to win a championship.
If only LeGM were actually in charge of things back in 2021.
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