With the NBA Trade Deadline less than two weeks away, the Bulls are a team to watch more and more of between now and February 9. Once once more in doubt following two poor defeats once morest Indiana and Charlotte, Chicago might be tempted by the idea of breaking up the current group. And in the event that Alex Caruso is made available, two franchises intend to position themselves well.
Who wouldn’t want an Alex Caruso on their team?
Intelligent player who fights on every possession, good defender, pure teammate and not disgusting at 3-pointers (37% in career, 39% this season), the divine bald is one of those shadow players who have a positive impact no matter what team he is on. Hey, typically the kind of guy ambitious teams like Golden State and New York need to kickstart their campaign.
According to NBC Sports Chicago, the Warriors and the Knicks are indeed on the Caruso file ahead of the deadline. As a reminder, the defending champion has a barely positive record (25 wins – 24 losses) at the time of writing and needs to strengthen his rotation with experienced role players. As for the New York franchise, it continues to be irregular (27-23 record) but still feels that it has a shot to play to try to integrate the Top 6 of the Eastern Conference. No doubt, Caruso would be a real plus for both teams.
The New York Knicks have scouted Alex Caruso this season, per @KCJHoop
The Golden State Warriors are also a potential suitor. pic.twitter.com/AOjKPdwZJ3
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) January 27, 2023
But for what consideration?
This is where it gets tricky. Because the Bulls set the bar (very) high in negotiations. If we are to believe insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (Yahoo Sports !)Chicago would ask two first-round draft picks! Just that. We love Caruso huh, but it’s hard to see a franchise putting such a capital draft in the balance to acquire the services of a player who averages 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
So of course, behind all that, there is a game of negotiations that is being played. The Bulls are setting the bar high to announce their intentions for possible talks, but Chicago general manager Arturas Karnisovas knows full well that the odds of a team putting two first-round picks on the table are slim.
In any case, it remains a file to watch, especially if the Bulls continue to chain the bad results during the deadlines to come. FYI, Chicago faces Orlando, the Clippers, Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio and Memphis by the February 9 deadline. #ZoneDanger.
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Sources texte : Marc Stein, NBC Sports Chicago