NBA rumors: Thunder prioritizing Alex Caruso extension
12/02/2024 05:55 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault smiled when the front office acquired Alex Caruso. The All-Defensive Second Team guard was dealt to Oklahoma City in exchange for Josh Giddey. In the final year of his four-year, $36.9 million contract, Thunder’s Caruso is in line for a contract extension.
With two All-Defensive Team selections under his belt, including Second (2023-24) and First Team (2022-23) nods, Caruso should receive a sizable pay increase, per HoopsHype's Michael Sotto.
"The next item on Presti's agenda is expected to be contract extension discussions in December with guard Alex Caruso, who was acquired from the Bulls in exchange for Josh Giddey this offseason," Sotto says. "Caruso is expected to receive a sizable pay raise from his current $9.89 million salary."
Caruso is averaging 5.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game for the Thunder this season. The numbers don't always justify Alex's value to Oklahoma City. However, a nagging hip injury that sidelined Caruso for seven of the Thunder's first 20 games of the regular season hasn't helped him adapt to the offense.
However, in a deep Thunder backcourt led by All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and rookie Ajay Mitchell, there's rarely a shortage of offense amid the Thunder's unpreceded start to 2024-25. Still, Caruso's championship pedigree (2019-20 Lakers), coupled with his veteran leadership, gives the Thunder's backcourt a defensive anchor. They've strengthened their identity on that end of the floor, where Caruso should remain for the foreseeable future.
Mark Daigneault's 'mental toughness' take on Thunder guards
Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty of options in the backcourt outside Alex Caruso. The Thunder's depth of guards thickened with the emergence of second-round draft pick Ajay Mitchell and the development of second-year guards Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe. Daigneault talked about his guards' mental toughness after Oklahoma City's 119-116 loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday night.
Daigneault highlighted veteran Lu Dort, Wallace, and Joe as examples of his guards demonstrating their mental toughness in their ability to make big shots amid mid-game shooting slumps.
"Mitchell, the other night, was 1-for-8 against Golden State. He hit that one in the corner," Daigneault said. "Isaiah Joe was 0-for-6; he hit the one late in the game. Dort has been in a little bit of a slump, dealing with his finger. Then, he hit four of them the other night. I think the mental toughness of the team was on display. Cason is in that category."
The Thunder will look to advance to the elimination round of the NBA Cup with a win against the Jazz on Tuesday.
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