A number of groups throughout the NBA are carefully monitoring the state of affairs with the Chicago Bulls, whose season is as soon as once more off to a rocky begin. Ought to the losses proceed to pile up this season, the Bulls could possibly be in for an enormous hearth sale previous to the February commerce deadline. The three stars — Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic — will definitely garner lots of curiosity across the league. However the participant who’s getting essentially the most consideration is guard Alex Caruso.

NBA reporter Marc Stein not too long ago stated on his podcast that over 10 groups would fall in line ought to the Bulls make Caruso obtainable for commerce. It is simple to see why. Caruso is on a team-friendly $9.5 million price ticket this season. He’s additionally a profitable participant due to how nicely he performs inside his function, particularly as a menace on the defensive facet of the ground.

Groups such because the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Warmth headline the potential Caruso suitors. However like we have seen previously, like within the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, an out-of-left-field staff may swoop in and take the defensive specialist from out of nowhere. With that stated, listed here are three dark-horse commerce locations for Alex Caruso if the Bulls blow it up.

One dark-horse staff that might commerce for Alex Caruso’s providers is the Indiana Pacers. So much anticipated the Pacers to take a leap this season. However not many noticed them to make this large of a bounce. After profitable simply 35 video games final season, the Pacers are off to a torrid begin, significantly on the offensive facet of the ground. Indiana tops the league in offensive score (122.0), factors per sport (126.5), and assists per sport (30.8) and is second within the NBA in tempo.

Whereas the offense is on tempo to be the very best in NBA historical past, the protection is likely one of the worst within the league thus far. The Pacers rank simply twenty seventh in defensive score and quit the second-most factors on a nightly foundation. It is clear that the offense is what’s retaining Indiana afloat. You need to marvel if that will probably be sustainable for your entire season and can be sufficient to vault them into the postseason.

With that, the Pacers should make a transfer to enhance their protection and they need to strongly think about going after Alex Caruso. Caruso goes to an ideal match alongside Tyrese Haliburton within the backcourt. Although he performs strong staff protection, Haliburton is not actually identified for being a lockdown on-ball defender. The Pacers do not have an excellent point-of-attack defender, so Caruso ought to be capable of fill that function simply. As well as, Caruso can be a terrific veteran mentor and a much-needed tradition setter for this younger staff.

One other Jap Convention squad that might commerce for Alex Caruso is the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors had been not too long ago linked as a possible touchdown spot for Zach LaVine. Certain, LaVine is smart as a result of he would give the Raptors the enhance they want offensively, the place they rank simply twenty seventh within the NBA. Nevertheless, given LaVine’s costly price ticket, getting him would require them to surrender a ton of their depth, which might be the draw back of this deal.

With that, Toronto may as a substitute commerce for Alex Caruso. As talked about, Caruso is available in at a less expensive contract. Nevertheless, there are stories that the Bulls are eager on buying a number of first spherical picks for the defensive specialist. The Raptors presently have all of their first rounders from 2025 to 2030, in order that they positively have the belongings to tug off a deal. However are they prepared to half methods with such precious belongings, in the event that they finally intend to restart anew and rebuild round Scottie Barnes? That is fairly the dilemma.

Nonetheless, Caruso can be a serious enhance within the backcourt and would additional strengthen Toronto’s top-8 protection. Whereas he is not a quantity shooter from past the arc, Caruso nonetheless knocks down his threes at an environment friendly charge. This season, the Bald Mamba is cashing in on 50.0 % of his triples, whereas making 1.5 per sport.

In case it would not work out and Masai Ujiri lastly decides to tug the plug on this roster, they might simply recoup the draft capital they lose in buying Caruso within the eventual Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby trades.

The Brooklyn Nets is also a strong touchdown spot for Alex Caruso. Just like the Raptors, the Nets aren’t incentivized to tank this season as a result of additionally they do not have their 2024 choose.

Ben Simmons is already having points together with his again. Whereas the Nets revealed that it is not as catastrophic because the accidents that stored him out for the higher a part of the final two years, that is nonetheless a state of affairs value monitoring.

With that, maybe the Nets ought to goal Alex Caruso in a commerce. Buying and selling for Caruso is smart for the Nets as a result of, not solely will they need to preserve profitable video games, they might additionally need to enhance their protection. Brooklyn ranks simply twenty third in defensive score this season. Simmons is ideally the man who ought to tackle the opposing staff’s finest perimeter participant. However given his damage historical past, issues may go south actual fast if he finally ends up lacking a bunch of video games.

Caruso would clearly be tasked to be the first POA defender. However he’d even be an excellent insurance coverage coverage in case Simmons finally ends up on the sidelines once more.