This offseason will be a crucial one for the Chicago Bulls. After making trading for Nikola Vucevic at the 2021 NBA Trade deadline and signing DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso that following summer, they’ve failed to meet expectations. A hot start helped them break their postseason drought in 2022, but this past year, they once again missed the playoffs.
Now, the front office will have to decide whether to keep the current core together or break things up and start fresh. All signals from the front office point toward the former, but only time will tell what Chicago decides to do. However, according to KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Caruso will probably stick around.
In a recent article, Johnson broke down Chicago’s potential offseason plans. When the topic of Caruso’s future with the Bulls came up, he pointed toward this past trade deadline as an indicator of his potential availability.
Chicago Bulls rejected Golden State Warriors' trade offers for Alex Caruso
Johnson pointed out that Chicago refused to trade Caruso to the Golden State Warriors at the deadline this year. The 2022 NBA Champions were reportedly very interested in the Bulls guard.
“Karnišovas framed the Bulls as buyers at the February trade deadline,” Johnson wrote. “League sources at that time indicated that Karnišovas gave indications to teams that he planned to keep his core together. In fact, overtures from the Golden State Warriors centered on Alex Caruso were rebuffed.”
Chicago Bulls wanted two first-round picks for Alex Caruso
Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls sought two first-round picks in exchange for Caruso. They were telling inquiring teams that they could get that package elsewhere, which ended in them holding on to Caruso past the deadline.
“The Chicago Bulls told various inquiring teams they could get upward of two first-rounders for Alex Caruso,” Fischer reported.
Alex Caruso predicted to stay with Chicago Bulls
In turn, Johnson concluded that it’s unlikely Chicago will give him up in a deal this offseason.
“Given that Caruso just earned his first honor on first-team All-Defense and remains on a team-friendly contract, he’s a safe bet to stay,” he wrote.
Unless the Bulls’ front office does a complete 180 and decides to tear things down, it looks like Caruso will be donning the red and black next season.
