Why Thunder should do everything possible to keep Alex Caruso

Alex Caruso has quickly slotted into life with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His ability to impact games without the ball in his hands and raise a team’s defensive ceiling with his hustle have both been major markers in Oklahoma’s improvement on that side of the floor this season. 

In the 787 possessions Caruso has played this season, the Thunder have held teams to an elite 99.9 points per 100 possessions. In the 1,783 possessions he’s missed, the Thunder have given up 106.2 points per 100. While the sample size needs more data, there’s a clear correlation that depicts the impact Caruso makes when healthy. 

Interestingly, when Caruso is on the court, the Thunder are a better offensive team by 8.4 points per 100 possessions. They take care of the ball better, turning over 3.4% less frequently, too. Caruso is the type of player who can create a winning culture, even when he’s struggling to fill up the box score. 

During a recent interview with Jake Fischer, which was published in a recent edition of The SteinLine Newsletter, Caruso discussed his openness to remaining in Oklahoma long-term. 

“Obviously this is a place that I think is ascending and that’s something I want to be a part of,” Caruso told Fischer. “That’s why I’m here. I think the writing is on the wall. People don’t trade for guys in the last year of their contracts unless they expect to keep ’em for a while. That’s just the business part of it. So I’m looking forward to having that conversation with Sam [Presti]. Everything that the Thunder stand for are things that I stand for. I think their focus, their drives and desires, are the same as mine. It’s been a good fit and I’m looking forward to hopefully a couple more years.”

Despite the undoubted talent on the Thunder’s roster, they’re still a young team. Their inexperience was on full display during their recent NBA Cup loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Caruso can help steady the ship. He’s been there and done that, played in big games and been part of a major organization, the Los Angeles Lakers. He knows what comes with the expectation of winning a championship.

When the Thunder acquired Caruso in a straight swap for Josh Giddey, it was seen as a coup for the franchise. The fact they landed one of the most impactful rotation guards in the NBA, without giving up any draft assets, was mind-blowing. Now, despite his issues in the box score, he’s proving his value to his new team. The front office must find a way of securing his future. 

Every young, contending-level team needs a veteran. The Boston Celtics needed Al Horford. The Milwaukee Bucks needed Jrue Holiday (who also then filled a core role in Boston), and the Denver Nuggets needed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caruso can undoubtedly fill a similar need with the Thunder. 

Caruso clearly wants to stay beyond this season. That should make negotiations easy. As such, Sam Presti will likely be looking to begin negotiations in the coming months to avoid any risk of losing a genuine defensive difference-maker for nothing on the free-agent market.