After nearly a decade, Mark Daigneault and Alex Caruso were reunited as a coach-player duo. This time around, it’s with the Oklahoma City Thunder instead of the G League’s OKC Blue.
Caruso was sent to the Thunder in a trade that shipped Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls. The 30-year-old is a smoother fit in OKC than the latter was due to his 3-and-D abilities.
After going undrafted in 2016, Caruso had his first real stop in the NBA with the Blue. He used that opportunity to springboard his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he carved out an NBA career.
He signed with the Bulls in 2021 and enjoyed individual success. He was named to back-to-back All-Defensive Teams and shot 40.8% from 3 on 4.7 attempts last season in a clunky Chicago offense.
Daigneault underwent a similar unorthodox path. The 39-year-old went from the Blue’s head coach to Thunder assistant to Thunder head coach in 2020.
Even when they lost, it was evident how bright his future was in the league. Daigneault’s coaching proxy was rewarded when he was named the Coach of the Year this past season. He shepherded the youngest first seed in league history.
After both individuals had their unique paths to success, they now have a chance to be productive at the NBA level. Caruso said he talked to Daigneault after the deal and both exchanged pleasantries and jabs.
“I was smiling ear to ear talking to him on the phone just because I was excited to play for him again,” Caruso said. “He told me, ‘Don’t be a smarta–.’ I told him, ‘I can’t wait for him to cuss me out at the first practice when I mess something up.’
“We’ll hit the ground running. It’ll be great just like it always is.”
As the Thunder embarks on a contention window, Daigneault will get more shots to help carve out the roster that best suits the team’s style. One of his first shots at helping bring in a win-now player involved a former G League player he coached. That’s the value of building those relationships.
Even though Caruso is only under contract for one year, it’s evident his pairing with the Thunder is a match made in heaven. Both sides mutually benefit from their presence.
“A lot of growth from when we first started together,” Caruso said. “There’s a lot of positives and a lot of learning experiences we could take from those years.”
