JULY 7: Caruso’s new deal with the Lakers has been finalized, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
JULY 6: Free agent guard Alex Caruso will return to the Lakers on a two-year, $5.5MM contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The second-year guard became a restricted free agent when L.A. extended a qualifying offer last week. However, his rights may cause complications in the Anthony Davis trade, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), who speculates that the Lakers may be using their room exception or cap space in the new deal with Caruso.
The 25-year-old first came to L.A. as a two-way player in 2017. He has played a combined 62 games in two seasons and contributed 9.2 PPG in 25 contests this year.
Pincus believes the Lakers may have exhausted all of their cap room with the signings of Caruso, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley and JaVale McGee, with just the $4.8MM room exception available. If they’re using that exception to add McGee and have included unlikely incentives in some of their new contracts, they could have up to $7.7MM remaining.
I love this signing more than Rondo or KCP. I get those signings, not against them completely but I am more fond of this one honestly. I feel like if he gets mins he will do really good for us as he proved when given mins last year.
Off topic, but I don’t know that I can find a more relevant story to post this comment.
I would really like to see some numbers on the percentage of players changing teams. It may just be me, but it really seems like around half of all NBA players are changing teams this offseason. Does anyone have the numbers on the amount of uniform changes for next year?
I think this has been one of the most exciting off seasons I can remember and I feel the league is actually a lot more evened out in my opinion. Even a team like the Pelicans who lost AD seem to have improved this off season in my option. The 76ers lost some good guys but I actually think they’ll be a real threat next year. The Trail Blazers, Jazz, Celtics, Clippers, Lakers, Nets..man I’m so excited to see all these teams.
I agree completely. Last year at this time the Warriors were signing Boogie and looking unstoppable. Now we know better, but at the time it looked like the NBA Finals had already been played. This year I don’t know for sure if any team in the West is even going to make the playoffs. There are 10 teams that I could see as a playoff team and none of them are that much ahead of the rest. It could be a year where the difference between the #1 seed and missing the playoffs is only a handful of games. I am excited as well.
They would’ve won easily if healthy, so yeah, we were all correct
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas. So no, you weren’t correct.
Thanks for that.
I am advocating for HR to have a team-by-team plus-minus page. By whatever method, if a team adds or loses a player, add him to the list… Update it regularly like they do in accounting with double-column entry, every transaction a debit here and a credit there.
One could keep track of things with that, like for counting total moves. And I could make fewer errors in posts!
Right now I want to say Caruso is their best PG, assuming the comp is Cook and Rondo, but who can remember everything.
Yes Clips got the better star in Kawhi but if AD and LeBron are healthy, Lakers are clearly the better team. Based on the depth they’ve accumulated. I think Clips are also much younger and need experience to be a threat. My prediction is Lakers win the title this year, but long term, think by 2023, I think the Clips win two titles in comparison to the Lakers one title.
AHAHAHA. I thought you were serious about the depth thing. Good one!
I know saying cook a champion tested pg…. “bringing in rondo” he was there already and did nothing of note.
Lakers have added nothing to note except Davis as far as why they make the 8. They also lost 2 starters in positions they have not improved in.
Seems like there are posters saying the Laker depth is not crappy but superior and it’s hard to believe they are sincere.
I actually agree, Lakers have a great chance at winning it all this year, but they have like unlimited ??? going forward.
In what world?
Leonard has won 2 titles. The clippers just made the 8 and have lost two players and upgraded with two top 5 players….
Lakers have lost several key pieces and their depth was terrible already…
Davis is a big in, completely game changing to a team that is not contending to make the 8 to should be well in the 8. Though the west is stacked.
Cousins is a handy player but it’s not the cousins that was there we all know that.
Clippers retained Beverley (who lakers fans begged for) Lou Williams and several other players lakers dream of having there. Again clippers depth didn’t change it’s a team that made the 8 and added two top 5 players for 2 players that were good but not that good.
Lakers added Davis and lost numerous starters and have brought back the same guys who couldn’t do much and added cousins… no contest there on who wins. Clippers by a land slide (assuming healthy for both sides)
Kawhi would not have won his second title had Durant been healthy. And Klay…
Well, let me also remind you, LeBron has 3 titles… Yes two of them are debatable wins for whatever reason, but it does not take away from who LeBron is and how good he is. Davis is the best star he’s ever had. This coming from me, an avid Heat fan, who’s marveled at D-wade. Davis is a better compliment to LeBron than Wade was. I can make this inference based on Bosh, during his time here in South Beach and how well he played alongside LeBron. Davis when healthy and surrounded by a half decent squad (see 2017-18 Pelicans), lead the Pels to a 6th seed. Now you’re adding a championship tested, 3point shooting PG in Cook, a modern day 3-and-D guy in Green at SG, plus you’re bringing in Rondo ( a true point guard), McGee (who had his best season), and KCP (solid guard).. On top of which, you got Kuzma (who is still improving). IDK, no one is beating LAL next year. LeBron will come in more motivated than ever. Also keep in mind, Igudoula and Korver (or JR Smith) will be signing up as well.
Clips will be the better team long term and will win two or three chips during the Kawhi era, but the 2019-20 season will belong to LAL. Trust me.
Beverley and Williams. Lol.
Might as well get ‘Melo. What the heck?
link to google.com.au
Sums it up perfectly.
Forgot to mention green he sure helps at the sg. Though rondo starting and the depth outside of mcgee and arguably pope is terrible
Cousins likely starts with Davis I would imagine? So kuzma bench? If they start Davis at c then centre is well served with him cousins and McGee though outside that it’s terrible.
C: Davis, McGee
PF: Kuzma, Cousins, Williams
SF: LeBron, Melo??, Horton-Tucker
SG: Green, KCP, Daniels
PG: Rondo, Cook, Caruso
oh yeah Dudley the third PF and Jonathan Williams the third C
Cousins isn’t even as quick as a center needs to be. He is certainly not a forward and nobody can make Davis play center if he doesn’t want to. Figure it out, dreamer
Wouldn’t mind if the Lakers completed their roster by signing one or two young local players like a Stanley Johnson or someone else with SoCal roots
Stanley Johnson signed with the Raptors today.
Oh my. Cook used to explain now as how the lakers are better? Sure sign your talking s.
Lou Williams and Beverly? Cook and rondo?
Wrecked