Alex Caruso Discusses Bulls’ Pitch, Lakers’ Offer In Free Agency
Shortly after Alex Caruso agreed to a four-year, $37MM deal with the Bulls in August, a pair of reports indicated that the Lakers didn’t come close to matching that offer and that L.A. wasn’t willing to go any higher than about $7MM per year for the free agent guard.
Making an appearance on J.J. Redick‘s The Old Man and the Three podcast, Caruso didn’t explicitly confirm those reports, but his comments strongly suggested they were accurate. The 27-year-old spoke in detail about his experience in free agency and how he ended up signing with Chicago.
“Going into it, I really didn’t know what to expect and I really didn’t hear much from any team, including the Lakers, leading up to 6:00pm,” Caruso said. “And then they called and the Lakers made their offer. It wasn’t an offer I was going to accept, because I was going to be able to get considerably more money from another team.”
As Caruso explained, after fighting so hard to earn an NBA roster spot and earning fairly modest salaries during his first four years in the league, he viewed free agency as his best opportunity to gain long-term financial security for him and his family. In other words, money was going to be an important factor in his decision.
“There was talk with a bunch of different people about the mid-level, which I think was four (years) for $40 (million),” Caruso said. “We never got anybody to that actual number, but there were a couple teams that got close. Then my agent texted me and said, ‘Hey, Chicago’s interested in signing you.’ I didn’t know that financially it was going to be able to work. I thought once ‘Zo (Lonzo Ball) signed with Chicago, I was like, “OK, well, Chicago’s off the list.’
“… (But) I got on the phone with AK (president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas) and with (head coach) Billy (Donovan), and the way they were just talking about how they wanted to play, how they saw me as a player, I thought they hit the nail on the head. I thought everything they said, I was like, ‘I think that’s accurate, I think that’s what I bring to the table, I think that’s how I can help the team win, I think that’s the direction that this team wants to go.’ I thought there was a need for the stuff that I had.”
Although Caruso liked the idea of heading to Chicago, he was reluctant to leave Los Angeles after winning a championship with the franchise in 2020. He told Redick that he and his camp circled back to the Lakers to see if they’d be willing to do a deal in the range of the one he was being offered by the Bulls.
“So essentially we got that offer, went back to L.A., asked if they could do the same. They said no,” Caruso said. “Asked for something else that was a little less. They said no. I said, ‘OK, well, if that’s what it comes to, I’m ready to go to Chicago and start the next chapter.'”
Caruso didn’t share the specifics of the Lakers’ offer, but provided a hint. Redick guessed that L.A.’s initial offer was $15MM over two years, and asked Caruso to blink once if that estimate was “over” and twice if it was “under.” It was hardly a scientific process, but for what it’s worth, Caruso blinked just once, suggesting the Lakers’ offer was lower.
Los Angeles projects to be a taxpayer this season, so any deal with Caruso would’ve cost the team exponentially more in tax penalties than the guard would’ve actually earned. The Lakers ended up letting virtually all of their free agents walk, with the exception of Talen Horton-Tucker.
In 10 games (27.9 MPG) for the Bulls so far, Caruso has been a key member of the team’s bench, averaging 7.8 PPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.3 SPG while playing strong defense. With Chicago off to a 7-3 start and tied for the best record in the East, Caruso told Redick that joining the Bulls has been “a great decision for me.”
And-Ones: M. Gasol, I. Thomas, 2022 Draft, Sharpe
After reuniting with Pau Gasol last season, FC Barcelona is attempting to recruit his brother Marc Gasol, team manager Juan Carlos Navarro confirmed this week (link via Mundo Deportivo; hat tip to Sportando).
Navarro classified the team’s discussions with Gasol as “conversations” rather than “negotiations,” but suggested that the Spanish center hasn’t ruled out the possibility. Gasol, who was traded from the Lakers to the Grizzlies and then was waived during the offseason, decided to return home to Spain rather than continue his career in the NBA. It remains to be seen if he’ll play on either side of the Atlantic in 2021/22.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In a documentary-style YouTube video called ‘For The Love of The Game,’ free agent guard Isaiah Thomas says he nearly signed with an NBA team during the summer. “This offseason I worked out for three teams and got very positive feedback from every organization,” Thomas said, per Marcus Kwesi O’Mard of NESN.com. “There was one team that I was basically very close to signing (with), then it didn’t happen.” The 32-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback after spending just 10 days on a roster last season.
- In the first draft of his big board for the 2022 NBA draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic contends that Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren are in their own tier at the top of the ’22 class. According to Vecenie, there are a lot of question marks beyond the top two at this point.
- Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1 prospect in ESPN’s ranking of the 2022 recruiting class, announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that he’ll be enrolling at Kentucky in January. Sharpe won’t be eligible for the 2022 draft because he didn’t graduate high school before the NBA’s 2021/22 season began, notes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).
Pistons Notes: Growing Pains, Cunningham, G League Team
Outside of Jerami Grant, the Pistons‘ starting lineup is made up entirely of first- and second-year players. And while the franchise is high on the long-term prospects of those players – Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart – head coach Dwane Casey acknowledged that there will be growing pains as Detroit goes through what general manager Troy Weaver has called a “restoration” process.
“It’s called restore or rebuild. It wouldn’t be a rebuild if we had veteran guards and veteran wings,” Casey said on Monday, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “Those are the guys we’re building with, and they’re kind of the cornerstones right now, so that’s what you go through. We didn’t go out and bring a 10-year vet in to star in that position.
“So, that’s part of the growth, and with that growth comes trials and tribulations, and it’s not always going to be pretty.”
At 1-8, the Pistons are in dead-last in the Eastern Conference and are unlikely to make a push for a play-in spot this season. Still, as Beard relays, Casey doesn’t sound all that concerned about the club’s win-loss record.
“Your wins may not be winning the game; you may win by getting better defensively or getting better offensively, getting better connected as a group,” Casey said. “We do all those things; if we grow in those areas, winning will take care of itself. Those guys are our cornerstones and that’s the thought process about keeping those guys together — let them grow.”
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- In an interesting piece for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III breaks down some film from Cunningham’s first few NBA games with the help of Cunningham himself, discussing certain plays and strategies with the No. 1 overall pick.
- The Pistons are already seeing the benefits of having their G League team based in downtown Detroit, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, who notes that the team sent Cunningham to the Motor City Cruise for rehab purposes and is able to shuttle young players like Luka Garza and Saben Lee back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL. Lee scored 42 points in Motor City’s season opener. The Pistons’ G League affiliate was previously located in Grand Rapids.
- In a mailbag for The Detroit News, Beard fields a handful of Pistons-related questions, examining Cory Joseph‘s role, checking on Isaiah Livers‘ status, and explaining that it’s way too early to second-guess the Pistons’ pick of Cunningham at No. 1 in this year’s draft.
Community Shootaround: East Vs. West
During the 21st century, Eastern Conference teams have had a winning record in games against Western Conference teams just once in 22 seasons. That happened in the 2008/09 campaign, when the East put up a 231-219 record (.513) vs. the West.
In every other season since 1999/2000, Western teams have had a winning record against Eastern opponents, often by a wide margin. The East’s second-best result came in 2015/16, when it posted a 218-232 (.484) mark vs. the West.
These numbers are a simple way of illustrating what most NBA fans view as common knowledge: For at least the last two decades, the West has been the stronger and deeper of the two conferences.
In the early going of the 2021/22 season, however, there’s reason to believe that the tide might be shifting. Even after Western teams won all three games against Eastern opponents on Monday night, the East has a 22-19 record in inter-conference games so far this season.
It’s obviously way too early in the year to draw any conclusions, but it’s not too early to start making some predictions based on what we’ve seen so far.
Among the East’s current top eight teams, the Sixers, Heat, Knicks, and Nets were expected to be here, but the Bulls, Wizards, Cavaliers, and Raptors have exceeded expectations so far. Some of those clubs might slow down, but some of their gains could be for real, and they all at least look capable of remaining in the play-in mix.
Further down the standings, the Hornets (5-6) are about where we expected, while the Bucks (4-6), Celtics (4-6), Hawks (4-7), and Pacers (4-7) are actually underachieving so far — we can probably expect more from most or all of them.
The Magic and Pistons, at the bottom of the conference standings, will likely remain there and lose a lot of games. But even so, that leaves 13 teams in the East with realistic playoff or play-in aspirations.
The West looks pretty deep too, but it may not have as many obvious breakout teams — its top nine clubs so far are identical to last year’s, albeit in a different order. There also aren’t as many underachievers in the West that we can count on seeing improvements from. The Lakers have been a little disappointing, but they’re still above .500 at 6-5.
With all that in mind, we want to know what you think. Has the Eastern Conference finally caught up to the Western Conference this season, or is the West still the more dominant conference overall? Do you expect the East to post at least a .500 record against the West this season for just the second time this century?
Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.
Raptors Notes: Siakam, Barnes, Ujiri, Rebuild
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who returned from shoulder surgery on Sunday vs. Brooklyn, was limited to 25 minutes and admitted he felt some fatigue in his first game action since May.
“It was tough,” Siakam said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “After my first three minutes I think I needed some gas or something. My legs were heavy and I think I couldn’t breathe at one point, but it was expected.”
While getting Siakam back in the lineup makes the Raptors a more well-rounded and dangerous team in the long term, there may be some growing pains in the short term, writes Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca. The 27-year-old is one of the club’s go-to scoring options, meaning the players that stepped up in his absence will have to adjust – or readjust – to new roles.
“Everybody else is kind of affected by him coming back,” point guard Fred VanVleet said. “He’s going to play heavy minutes and have the ball and he’s going to be a big part of the offense. So, offensively, I think it’s just finding our rhythm and spacing and the flow and learning how to play with Pascal. For me it was great. I missed playing with him. The other guys who were playing with him for the first time, there will probably be a little bit of a learning curve.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Count Nets superstar Kevin Durant among those who have come away impressed with what they’ve seen from Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes. “You’ve got a lot of guys who love to compete and love to win, but what’s more rare about Scottie Barnes is his IQ for the game, his length, his enthusiasm for the game. All of that stuff shines bright when you watch him play,” Durant said after Sunday’s game (link via Sportsnet.ca). “He knows how to play the right way and he’s only going to get better.”
- In a Q&A with Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri spoke about his desire to grow the game of basketball in Africa, the Raptors’ experience in Tampa, and why he decided to sign an extension with the franchise, among other topics.
- The Raptors look ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process, in the view of William Lou of Sportsnet.ca.
- In case you missed it, our Offseason in Review story on the Raptors was published earlier today.
2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Toronto Raptors
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Toronto Raptors.
Free agent signings:
Note: Exhibit 9 and 10 deals aren’t included here.
Gary Trent Jr.: Three years, $51.84MM. Third-year player option. Includes $750K in unlikely incentives. Re-signed as restricted free agent using Bird rights.- Khem Birch: Three years, $20MM. Re-signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Ishmail Wainright: Two years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($250K). Second year partially guaranteed ($125K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Wainright was later waived.
- Isaac Bonga: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($200K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Sam Dekker: One year, minimum salary. Partially guaranteed ($350K). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Justin Champagnie: Two-way contract.
Trades:
- Acquired Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa from the Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry (sign-and-trade).
Draft picks:
- 1-4: Scottie Barnes
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $33,064,660).
- 2-46: Dalano Banton
- Signed to two-year, minimum-salary contract. Second year partially guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- 2-47: David Johnson
- Signed to two-way contract.
Contract extensions:
- None
Departing players:
- Aron Baynes
- DeAndre’ Bembry
- Freddie Gillespie
- Jalen Harris
- Rodney Hood
- Stanley Johnson
- Kyle Lowry
- Paul Watson
Other offseason news:
- Signed president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to contract extension and promoted him to vice chairman.
- Hired Nate Bjorkgren, Earl Watson, and Trevor Gleeson as assistant coaches; lost assistant coaches Sergio Scariolo and Jama Mahlalela.
- Being investigated by NBA for possible gun-jumping violation in Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade.
- Received clearance to resume playing home games in Toronto after spending 2020/21 season in Tampa.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
- Carrying approximately $136.3MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $143MM.
- $3,186,000 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($6.35MM used on Khem Birch).
- Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
- Three traded player exceptions available, including one worth $4.8MM.
The Raptors’ offseason:
Kawhi Leonard left Toronto during the 2019 offseason and both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka departed a year later, but it wasn’t until 2021 that it felt like the Raptors began a new era in earnest. Having gone 53-19 in 2019/20, a year after winning its title, the team fell off a cliff in a ’20/21 season spent far from home.
The Raptors’ slide down the standings can be blamed on a handful of factors that go beyond having to play their home games in Tampa — injury issues and a midseason COVID-19 outbreak didn’t help matters, and the club’s inability to adequately replace Gasol’s and Ibaka’s production at center played a part. Regardless of the reason for it, Toronto’s ’20/21 collapse opened the door for president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to retool the roster.
That retooling process began with a 10-28 finish to the season, which bumped the Raptors to seventh place in the NBA’s lottery standings. Some good fortune on lottery night resulted in the team climbing a few spots higher and securing the No. 4 overall pick. While that selection didn’t give the Raps an opportunity to draft Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, or Evan Mobley, it put them in a great position to nab a potential All-Star from what was considered a four-player top tier.
However, the Raptors disagreed with the conventional wisdom that slotted Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs alongside those top three prospects. Ujiri and company passed on Suggs in favor of Scottie Barnes, a promising young forward who was viewed as a talented, versatile defender whose offensive game remained quite raw.
It might take years to determine with certainty whether the Raptors made the right call by taking Barnes over Suggs, but fans disappointed by the selection on July 29 have to like the early returns — the 20-year-old Barnes has averaged 16.6 PPG and 8.7 RPG on 52.4% shooting in his first nine NBA games, and his defense has been as good as advertised, if not better.
As one potential cornerstone arrived in Toronto, another departed. After earning six All-Star nods and a title during his nine years with the Raptors, Kyle Lowry decided to move on and maximize his remaining years by joining a team closer to title contention. Toronto accommodated a sign-and-trade deal that sent Lowry to Miami.
If the Heat hadn’t been confident in the Raptors’ willingness to play ball on a sign-and-trade, they could’ve declined Goran Dragic‘s team option and made some other small moves that allowed them to open up the cap space necessary to sign Lowry outright. In that scenario, the Raptors would’ve been able to create some cap room of their own rather than taking on Dragic’s expiring $19MM+ contract in the Lowry sign-and-trade.
Operating over the cap allowed Toronto to acquire Precious Achiuwa along with Dragic in exchange for Lowry, then to use part of the mid-level exception to re-sign Khem Birch. If the Raptors had instead gone under the cap and simply let Lowry walk, they could have made a competitive offer for a big man like Richaun Holmes (they could’ve outbid the Kings), then tried to re-sign Birch using the room exception (their offer would’ve been limited to about two years and $10MM, rather than $20MM over three years).
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Holmes would’ve wanted to come to Toronto or that Birch would’ve accepted a little less to remain with the Raptors, but it’s an intriguing “what if.” The Raps made a big bet on Achiuwa, and perhaps are counting on Dragic to maintain enough value to make him a useful trade chip rather than just a buyout candidate.
Outside of the Lowry sign-and-trade and the Barnes pick, the Raptors’ most notable transaction was re-signing restricted free agent Gary Trent Jr. to a three-year, $51MM+ contract that includes a third-year player option.
The terms of that deal were a little surprising. Of the reliable rotation players available in free agency this offseason, few – if any – were younger than Trent (22), so Toronto’s decision to negotiate a contract that allows him to reach unrestricted free agency at age 24 was curious. It will be interesting to see whether or not that deal ultimately works out better for the Raptors than a longer-term commitment would’ve.
The Raptors filled out their roster with minimum-salary players and second-round picks. Among those, the most noteworthy additions were Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, a solid sharpshooter who had a down year but had still made 36.2% of his career 3-pointers entering this season, and Dalano Banton, a second-round pick out of Nebraska whom ESPN’s Jonathan Givony described as “one of the more unique players in college basketball” due to his combination of size (6’9″) and play-making abilities.
Finally, you could make a case that the biggest news of the Raptors’ offseason wasn’t related to player movement at all — it was the extension and promotion the organization awarded Ujiri. The cost was significant – Ujiri will reportedly earn a $15MM salary and can receive incentives based on the franchise’s value continuing to increase – but it looks like a worthwhile investment for one of the most talented executives in the sport.
The Raptors’ season:
Even with Leonard, Lowry, Gasol, and Ibaka gone, the Raptors still have a couple key pieces from their 2019 title team still on the roster, in Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. OG Anunoby, who didn’t contribute to that championship run for health reasons, has taken a huge step forward over the last couple years, Trent is a reliable rotation player, and Barnes looks ready to contribute immediately.
If the Raptors can get decent production out of some combination of Achiuwa, Birch, and Boucher up front, and a few of the reserves step up and provide consistent minutes, there’s enough talent here to make Toronto a playoff team.
Still, this roster as constructed doesn’t look like a great bet to make a run in the postseason, so the priorities this season should be developing Barnes and assessing how the club’s top three forwards (Siakam, Anunoby, and Barnes) fit together. While earning at least a play-in spot is certainly a realistic and achievable goal, the Raptors are probably still at least a year or two away from making any real noise in the East.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
Paul George, Jarrett Allen Named Players Of The Week
Clippers forward Paul George has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
George led the Clippers to a 4-0 week following a 1-4 start to the season. In victories over the Thunder, Timberwolves (twice), and Hornets, he averaged 26.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 7.3 APG, and 1.8 SPG, though he did turn the ball over 6.5 times per game and shot just 41.7% from the field.
Allen’s Cavaliers also went 4-0 this week, with wins over Charlotte, Portland, Toronto, and New York. The fifth-year center put up 20.5 PPG, 16.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.3 BPG on 63.3% shooting.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), George beat out fellow Player of the Week nominees Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jordan Poole to win the West’s award. In the East, Allen was selected over nominees Cole Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Seth Curry, Kevin Durant, and Myles Turner.
Collin Sexton Has Torn Meniscus In Left Knee
An MRI administered today on Collin Sexton‘s injured left knee revealed that the Cavaliers guard sustained a meniscus tear, the team announced in a press release. Sexton left Cleveland’s Sunday win over New York in the second quarter after feeling discomfort in the knee.
The Cavs have yet to announce a potential recovery timeline for Sexton. That will likely be determined once the club decides whether the injury will be treated surgically or non-surgically. According to the press release, the 22-year-old will undergo additional evaluation before his status is updated.
The news puts a damper on Cleveland’s strong start to the season. After winning no more than 22 games in each of the last three seasons, the Cavs are off to an impressive 7-4 start in 2021/22, with youngsters like Sexton, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley leading the way.
Sexton, the eighth overall pick in 2018, was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer in each of the last two seasons, having put up a career-best 24.3 PPG in 60 games in 2020/21. He was off to a slower start this season, with his shooting line dipping to .453/.244/.744, but his 16.0 PPG still represents the highest mark on the team.
Recovery from a meniscus tear can vary from player to player depending on how the injury is treated, but it typically results in an absence of at least weeks, if not months. Hopefully we’ll get clarity soon on what Sexton’s timetable might look like.
With Sexton on the shelf, Cleveland figures to lean more heavily on Garland and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, with Dylan Windler, Denzel Valentine, and Kevin Pangos among the reserves who could compete for minutes.
Sexton will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2022. The Cavs reportedly hope to sign him to a long-term deal.
Charania’s Latest: Sexton, Hachimura, T. Bryant
Besides sharing updates on the Celtics’ possible interest in Ben Simmons, a potential return timeline for Pacers forward T.J. Warren, and Sixers center Joel Embiid entering the health and safety protocols, Shams Charania of The Athletic touched upon a few other topics from around the NBA in his latest Inside Pass column. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Cavaliers are still interested in working out a new deal with Collin Sexton once he reaches restricted free agency in 2022, according to Charania, who says Sexton and his camp sought a four-year rookie scale extension worth about $100MM, while Cleveland wanted a fifth year. This seems a little odd, since any rookie scale extension covering five years has to be worth the maximum salary. But perhaps Charania meant that the Cavs preferred to wait until free agency to work something out with Sexton, since they can offer a five-year, non-max deal at that point.
- Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who has been sidelined to start the season for personal reasons, is expected to be “reintegrated fully” within the next couple weeks, sources tell Charania. Hachimura will have to through a ramp-up process before he’s ready to return to the court.
- The Wizards remain hopeful that center Thomas Bryant, who is coming off an ACL tear, will return before January, per Charania. The team has previously stated that it hopes Bryant will be able to play “sometime in December,” so that timeline remains unchanged.
Joel Embiid Tests Positive For COVID-19
11:52am: Embiid has tested positive for COVID-19 and is expected to miss several games, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
11:30am: Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was scheduled to be rested for Monday’s game vs. New York, has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Embiid is the fourth Sixers player to enter the league’s protocols so far this season, joining Tobias Harris, Isaiah Joe, and Matisse Thybulle. If he has tested positive for COVID-19, the All-NBA center will miss at least a handful of games.
While Embiid’s troublesome right knee could perhaps benefit from a week or two of rest, it’s still an unfortunate turn of events for an increasingly short-handed 76ers team. Besides having four players in the health and safety protocols, Philadelphia has been missing Danny Green (hamstring) for the last three games and is playing without All-Star guard Ben Simmons.
Despite all the absences, the Sixers have been the best team in the Eastern Conference so far this season, with an 8-2 record. With Embiid sidelined, the club figures to turn to Andre Drummond as its starting center for the short term.