The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to let All-Defense guard Alex Caruso walk to the Chicago Bulls on a contract that
they could have afforded was maybe their biggest mistake during the previous few seasons. LeBron James, Anthony
Davis, and Caruso made an ideal combination, as seen by their outstanding advanced statistics in the NBA.
on to have an even stronger season in 2020–21 before
leaving for Chicago. Known for wanting to stay in Los
Angeles, Caruso gave the Lakers every chance to sign
him for a fair contract. After the Lakers and general
manager Rob Pelinka made the decision to move on,
Caruso has solidified his position as one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.
During his time with the Bulls, Caruso reportedly faced repeated trade attempts from the Lakers, but Chicago is too
attached to Caruso to allow him to go. According to Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports, Caruso has been thinking back on
his time with the Lakers and what would have happened if he had stayed.
Although the Lakers’ handling of the Caruso situation was always a grave mistake, the L.A. front office’s error was
made considerably worse by the player’s clear wish to have stayed. Ultra-elite role players almost seldom put their fit
above money when given the opportunity to play somewhere else, but Caruso made no bones about his desire to do
so in order to remain with the Lakers.
In the most recent trade, Terry Rozier was acquired by the Miami Heat from the Charlotte Hornets, while Kyle Lowry
was given a contract extension that may potentially result in his buyout.
The Lakers have always been interested in Lowry, dating back to his time with the Toronto Raptors. If the Hornets
decide to buy him out, they may be interested in him once more.
