Alex Caruso

Northwest Notes: J. Williams, Hartenstein, Caruso, Jazz, Scoot, R. Williams

October 3rd, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Thunder big man Jaylin Williams has been ruled out for the remainder of training camp and the preseason due to a right hamstring strain, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

Upon his return, Williams is poised to back up a crowded frontcourt that is composed of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Coach Mark Daigneault was especially complimentary of what Williams brings to the table.

“Those guys are really, really verbal players,” Daigneault said. “Defensively especially, that position has to be the most vocal on the court. [Williams] is a very bold communicator in his coverages.”

Williams will be reevaluated after the preseason, per Lorenzi.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder offseason acquisitions Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have been as advertised, Lorenzi writes in a separate story. Both players have been early standouts in training camp. “I think the easiest thing for both of us is that we both play really hard,” Caruso said. “When you have that as your base and your foundation, the rest of the stuff will fall into place.”
Messaging from the Jazz has been clear all offseason regarding their desire to focus on youth. Walker Kessler is among the players the front office considers as part of its young core. However, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, John Collins sees and considers himself a starter, which primes the Jazz for a starting center position battle in camp. Head coach Will Hardy threw another name in the ring – that of free agent addition Drew Eubanks – when speaking to media. Larsen notes that the Jazz tried starting Lauri Markkanen, Collins and Kessler together last season, but that supersized lineup wasn’t successful.
Many scouts and fans regarded last year’s No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson as a generational prospect when he entered the draft. While Henderson struggled to score efficiently and didn’t garner the headlines that No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama did, he still showed he could have a long future in the league. Perhaps underrated entering his second season, the Trail Blazers guard averaged 16.6 points and 7.1 assists in his last 19 games last year. Head coach Chauncey Billups indicated he’s seen improvement from Henderson this offseason. “You can tell that his confidence is so much different now,” Billups said, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). “He plays ferocious, as we all know, but he has a little extra chip on his shoulder now after having struggled his rookie year. So I’ve been happy with where he’s at. I think Scoot’s going to have a good season.”
After playing in just six games last year due to knee surgery that ended his season, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams has been taking steps to return this year. According to Highkin (Twitter link), Williams went through all of practice as a full participant on Tuesday before sitting out Wednesday with soreness. The team is being careful with him in his recovery and his status for the preseason opener is to be determined, per Highkin.

Thunder Notes: Expectations, Trade Philosophy, Jones, More

September 25th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Thunder are being projected to finish atop the Western Conference standings again this season after winning 57 games in 2023/24. However, general manager Sam Presti doesn’t think the team is simply entitled to the outside perspective on them; he knows they have to prove it, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

“The difference is that external expectations are things that some people think should happen,” Presti said, “and possibilities are things that we feel could happen, but we have a lot of respect for how hard it is for those things to take place. We don’t think we’re entitled to start on third base.”

After adding Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to their core, Presti knows they’ll have to sort out some wrinkles early in the season.

“We’re going to need some time with this particular group, especially because we’re not trying to wedge those guys in or have assumptions about how they’re going to fit with certain players,” Presti said. “We kind of have to allow that to take its course, and as a result I think our continuity will not be great early, but if you look at continuity in the NBA, continuity generally shows up, or lack thereof, early in the year.

“There’s certain things that we’re going to have to confront, even if that means not getting the immediate benefits or the numbers might not look particularly good, but ultimately we’re going to have to get good at addressing these particular situations, issues, whatever it might be.”

As Lorenzi writes, that could mean experimenting with Caruso playing alongside other talented defenders like Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort, or going with a two-big look by lining up Hartenstein next to Holmgren.

We have more from the Thunder:

At the end of last season, Presti said he might need to reevaluate how he operates with in-season trades. When asked again on Wednesday about that philosophy by Daily Thunder’s Brandon Rahbar (Twitter link), Presti said he thinks it’s hard to get a player up to speed quickly in the middle of the season. He reiterated that continuity is important and that the Thunder’s new players are going to take time to fit in. Presti didn’t rule out in-season trades, but he did express the need to be patient with internal development and exercise caution when adding new players. “Everyone tends to, when there’s a team that’s in regression or plateau period or whatever you want to call it, the default is [to] hit the trade builder,” Presti said. “Because to really have a very nuanced conversation about the other things, the internal things, I think that gets a little hard for people, because there’s a lot more gray area there and probably a little more expertise on that, to be speaking that language, rather than hit the builder and flip people in and out, But every time you do that, you’re adding risk to your existing team.”
If Kenrich Williams‘ injury lingers into the regular season, the Thunder may need to rely on rookie Dillon Jones sooner than expected, Rylan Stiles of SI writes. Jones, a 6’5″ small forward, showed scoring and defensive prowess collegiately at Weber State. The 26th overall pick averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals in college.
In a mailbag, Lorenzi discusses several challenges the Thunder may face in 2024/25. For starters, the team may need to improve its three-point volume after ranking 16th in attempts but first in efficiency last season. Additionally, Oklahoma City will need to rely on Hartenstein to help defeat teams that pack the paint like Dallas did last year.

Northwest Notes: Cui, Braun, Caruso, Hartenstein

September 21st, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers did not want to hold back Yongxi Cui after he got a better offer from the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets.

Also known as Jacky, Cui officially signed a two-way contract with the Nets on Friday. He had previously agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Blazers, but hadn’t officially signed it.

If he’d come to camp in Portland he would have been competing for a two-way spot, according to Highkin. When the Nets offered him one outright, Portland didn’t want to stand in the way of the undrafted rookie.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

In a subscriber-only piece, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com takes a look at how defenses will adjust to the Nuggets’ starting five with third-year guard Christian Braun replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Braun appeared in all 82 regular-season games last season but made just four starts and only played 28 regular-season minutes with Denver’s other four starters on the court. Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic early in free agency.
There’s been plenty of talk regarding the defensive impact of newcomers Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein on the Thunder. However, their offensive contributions will be just as key, Esfandiar Baraheni of Sportscasting.com writes. Caruso will help the team in the underrated roles of screener and secondary play-making. Hartenstein’s solid screening and short-roll game will also add to the versatility of Oklahoma City’s offense.
In case you missed it, we took a look at every Northwest Division team’s roster as training camps approach.

Thunder Notes: Defense, K. Williams, Daigneault, Franchise History

September 18th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The offseason trade for Alex Caruso and the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency have improved the Thunder‘s defense to the point where it might be one of the best in NBA history, claims Michael Pina of The Ringer. He points out that Oklahoma City ranked fourth in the league defensively last season and every personnel decision was aimed at getting better, including sending Josh Giddey to Chicago in the Carsuo deal.

There are no weak links on defense anymore and no obvious spot for opponents to attack, Pina adds. The Thunder have a roster filled with switchable defenders who possess the speed and size to excel in coach Mark Daigneault‘s attacking scheme.

OKC boasts plenty of exceptional one-on-one defenders on the perimeter, starting with Luguentz Dort, who uses physicality to disrupt the rhythm of the man he’s guarding. Pina notes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander works exceptionally hard on defense for an MVP candidate, while Jalen Williams brings a wingspan that’s greater than his height, Cason Wallace plays like a smaller version of Jrue Holiday, and Chet Holmgren ranked second in the league last season in challenging shots at the rim. Adding to that mix is Caruso, who has made the All-Defensive team the past two seasons and has a knack for forcing turnovers.

Hartenstein will help fix the rebounding deficiency that was especially evident in the playoffs last spring. Pina states that the big man should also affect the philosophy on defense by allowing the Thunder to utilize more drop coverage and limit three-point shots from the corner.

There’s more from Oklahoma City:

The Thunder’s depth should enable them to be patient with Kenrich Williams as he recovers from a knee operation, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. The veteran forward underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee on Tuesday and will be reevaluated following the preseason. Stiles states that OKC should bring Williams along slowly and make sure he’s healthy for later in the season.
Since taking over as head coach, Daigneault has tended to use his bench more than any other coach in the league, Stiles adds in a separate story. That approach should be effective this season as the Thunder have one of the NBA’s deepest rosters.
If Seattle gets approved as an expansion city, the Thunder will give the franchise history back to the SuperSonics, sources tell ESPN in an overview of the expansion process. Oklahoma City’s owners already seem to view the Thunder as a separate enterprise, the authors add, having declined to hang a banner for Seattle’s 1979 championship and listing Russell Westbrook as the team’s career assists leader rather than Gary Payton.

Alex Caruso Discusses Expectations For Thunder

August 25th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After spending the last three years in Chicago, Alex Caruso is facing much higher expectations as he prepares for training camp with the Thunder. Oklahoma City, the top seed in the West last season, upgraded this summer by acquiring Caruso, an elite perimeter defender, in a trade with the Bulls and signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Caruso, who played four seasons at Texas A&M, talked about the outlook for his new team in an interview this week with TexAgs Radio.

“I think that the Thunder’s success last year speaks for itself,” he said. “Being first in the West is a tall task because of the buzzsaw and how much talent is in the Western Conference. It is weird now because we added some pieces in the offseason and re-signed some of the young guys. Isaiah Harteinstein and I are phenomenal basketball players who can fit really well within the team. Looking at it on paper, we do a lot of stuff that those guys need that will help us be successful.”

After going undrafted in 2016, Caruso got his first NBA opportunity with the Thunder, signing a training camp contract that fall. He was waived before the start of the season and joined the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue, where he played for current Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

Caruso is thrilled to be reuniting with Daigneault as an NBA veteran.

“We have a great relationship,” he said. “I know what to expect out of him and he knows how to coach and push me. If there was one word to describe it, just excited.”

Caruso’s career began to take off when he joined the Lakers on a two-way contract in 2017. He appeared in 37 games as a rookie and gradually worked his way into a rotation role.

He credits LeBron James, who signed in L.A. a year later, with helping to build his confidence and convincing him that he could be a productive NBA player.

“Coming from someone of that stature, someone who is that smart and skilled and the face of the NBA, and arguably the greatest of all time, that means a lot,” Caruso said. “It gave me the confidence in myself to believe that what I was doing was right. It helped me believe that what I was good at could contribute and be a deciding factor in NBA games. All I ever wanted was to be out there at the end of the game and have a chance to win.”

Caruso returned to College Station to host a golf tournament that will help set up his new foundation. The idea of being an established NBA player and having his own charitable organization seemed far away when he played for the Aggies.

“There is so much I want to do to give back,” Caruso said. “I am learning as I go, just figuring out the best way to set up for success so people can benefit from it and help it grow.”

Northwest Notes: Holmgren, Giddey, Caruso, Dieng, Malone, Kessler

August 24th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Appearing on Podcast P With Paul George (video link), Thunder big man Chet Holmgren admitted being “hurt” when he heard about the June trade that sent Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. Holmgren and Giddey were high lottery picks by Oklahoma City in back-to-back years, and they were expecting to be part of the team’s long-term foundation.

“I was (expletive) hurt when I saw that Giddey wouldn’t be on our team anymore,” Holmgren said. “We all rock with him. That’s our dog, still is. He’s gonna go do great things in Chicago, so we’re excited for him and we’re also excited to have AC on our team now, too. Like you said, great defender, he makes shots, he always makes winning plays, makes the right plays. That’s the type of dude you want to play with.”

Caruso, considered one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, joins a Thunder team that’s already proficient on that end of the court. Giddey may thrive once he’s given a chance to run the Bulls’ offense, but he struggled in the playoffs last season and was pulled from the starting lineup in the second-round series against Dallas due to concerns about his defense and outside shooting.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

After two developmental years, Ousmane Dieng is hoping to earn a spot in the Thunder‘s rotation in 2024/25, writes Nick Crain of Forbes. The organization viewed Dieng as a project when it traded for him during the 2022 draft. He has appeared in just 72 NBA games since then, but has shown improvement in the G League and is fresh off winning MVP honors in the title game. Crain notes that because Dieng has perimeter skills to go with his 6’10” frame, he’s versatile enough to contribute to the Thunder at a variety of positions.
Coach Michael Malone and the Nuggets‘ front office haven’t been on the same page in recent years when it comes to roster moves, sources tell David Thorpe of TrueHoop. Thorpe has been hearing for two seasons about a “disconnect” as the organization has lost Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from its 2023 championship roster. Malone has been left with a collection of young players to try to fill their roles.
Walker Kessler doesn’t seem to be part of the long-term future for the Jazz, opines Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Sources confirm to Pincus that Utah has explored trades involving Kessler, including discussions with the Knicks in July. If the 23-year-old center remains on the roster, the Jazz will have to decide this fall whether to pick up his $4.9MM option for the 2025/26 season. Pincus’ comments are included in a proposed three-team trade involving the Pelicans and Nets that would send Brandon Ingram to Utah.

Bulls Notes: Phillips, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis

July 14th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With a path to playing time seemingly opened by the departures of two veteran wings, young Bulls forward Julian Phillips is hoping to get some extended run this season, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“Just my leadership and being around the ball,” Phillips said of his goals for his second Summer League with the Bulls this year. “Get loose balls, rebounds. Defense, get my hands on loose balls. Try to be all around.”

With ex-Bulls Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan having been sent to contending Western Conference squads, an opportunity could open up for Phillips to earn more rotation minutes this year. Phillips, for his part, seems grateful for the lessons learned from Caruso and DeRozan during his rookie season in 2023/24.

“They both helped and taught me a lot, so I appreciate them for everything,” Phillips said. “It’s not our job to worry about the roster decisions. That’s up to the front office. Our job is to be ready to play. We got a lot of great guys and we’ll be ready for it for sure.”

There’s more out of the Windy City:

The Bulls received poor marks for their trades of Caruso and DeRozan from Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who is underwhelmed by the return for Caruso and believes the team waited too long to move on from DeRozan. Cowley adds that two of the club’s other pricey veterans, shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic, may be stuck on a rebuilding Chicago team for a while, as neither seems to have garnered much trade interest around the league.
During his Summer League debut, a 96-89 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis scored 15 points, grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots. He showed a knack for drawing contact in taking seven free throws during 29 minutes of action, and proved adept at defending the rack. Buzelis, however, was concerned by his 4-of-15 shooting line and some defensive decisions away from the rim, notes K.C. Johnson in another NBC Sports Chicago story. “Honestly, I was very sloppy,” Buzelis said. “I can play a lot better.”
In case you missed it, Chicago recently waived two-way power forward RaiQuan Gray, acquired in the team’s three-team sign-and-trade deal that sent DeRozan to Sacramento.

Northwest Notes: Murray, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Clark, Kessler, Saric

July 8th, 2024 at 10:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray and the Nuggets were reportedly progressing toward a four-year max extension agreement in late June. So what’s the holdup?

According to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando, extension talks between the front office and the Nuggets’ point guard are temporarily on the backburner while Murray preparies for the Paris Olympics with Team Canada. The two sides will likely finalize an agreement after the Olympics are done, Durando adds. The only potential stumbling block could occur if Murray suffers a significant injury prior to signing an extension.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

New Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is impressed by how the team has methodically been built into a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I think they were doing it the right way,” said Hartenstein, who left the Knicks and signed a three-year, $87MM contract with OKC. “I feel like they weren’t trying to rush steps. I think every year you kind of saw them take the next step. I think every time you see them go on the court, there’s a certain competitiveness always to them. They’re very excited for each other, and I think in the NBA you don’t have that a lot where no matter who’s doing good, the whole team is excited for each other.”
The Thunder‘s additions of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso should benefit Chet Holmgren, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustated opines. Holmgren will have more freedom to show off his passing and play-making skills. It also opens up opportunities for Holmgren to play alongside another big man.
The Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark has been cleared to play in the Summer League after recovering last season from a ruptured left Achilles tendon, the team announced in a press release. Minnesota drafted Clark in the second round last year despite Clark’s injury, which he suffered while playing for UCLA. Clark told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune he can be a defensive factor in the league. “I just want to re-establish myself as the best defender in my class,” he said. “I can guard way bigger than what I am, and I’ve improved my jump shot a whole bunch. I’m going to try to break the steals record like I did at my college.”
Given his strong rookie season, Walker Kessler might seem a little out of place on the Jazz‘s Summer League squad. After a disappointing sophomore campaign, the third-year center wants to reestablish himself as a major defensive factor. He told the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen that improving his body had been his No. 1 overall focus in the two months since the season ended. “I’m going into it with the mentality of, ‘I’m gonna be dominant.’ I’m gonna show what I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” Kessler said.
The Nuggets viewed Dario Saric as a top-priority target and reached an agreement with the big man on a two-year, $10.6MM deal. Saric was unsure if he wanted to play in the NBA or Europe next season before choosing the Nuggets, according to Durando. Multiple NBA teams showed interest in him, as well as the Greek club Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets felt confident about landing Saric.
The Timberwolves are looking toward rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., 2023 second-round pick Leonard Miller and 2022 second-rounder Josh Minott to compete for rotation spots next season, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “We got some holes right away that need to be plugged and there’s no doubt that they’re going to have to be filled by young players, whether it be these two guys [Dillingham and Shannon] or guys that have already been in the system, in the gym,” coach Chris Finch said. “That’s what we need to do. We’re excited about that challenge and we’re looking forward to these guys stepping up to it.”

Western Notes: Carter, Suns, Nunez, Thunder, Jazz

July 5th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings first-round pick Devin Carter will miss both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues due to a left shoulder injury, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (subscription required).

General manager Monte McNair acknowledged after drafting Carter last week that the former Providence guard was dealing with a shoulder ailment and said the Kings’ doctors would be taking a closer look at it. While the injury will keep Carter out of action this month, McNair expressed confidence that it’s “not a long-term issue.”

The No. 13 overall pick told The Sacramento Bee that he suffered the injury in a pre-draft workout. Asked if he’s feeling pain or discomfort, Carter replied, “I’m feeling fine. I just want to get the team doctor’s opinion and go from there.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Within a story grading the Suns‘ re-signing of Damion Lee, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports says the team remains interested in bringing back Josh Okogie on a new deal worth more than the minimum. Phoenix currently has just one open spot on its 15-man roster, but Bourguet hears from a source that waiving a player like David Roddy or Nassir Little might be a possibility if Okogie is re-signed and another top free agent target (possibly Kyle Lowry) is available. I’d be pretty shocked if the Suns cut Little, who has three guaranteed years left on his contract, but Roddy isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond this season.
Spurs second-round pick Juan Nunez appears unlikely to sign an NBA contract immediately. A report from Spanish outlet Encestando (hat tip to Sportando) suggests Nunez is on track to join Barcelona on a deal that will give him the option to leave for the NBA next summer. The Spanish point guard was the No. 36 selection in last week’s draft.
In a pair of stories for The Oklahoman, Joel Lorenzi explores Isaiah Hartenstein‘s fit in Oklahoma City and examines what the Thunder‘s roster will look like after trading for Alex Caruso and adding Hartenstein in free agency. Lorenzi, who is projecting Caruso to start and Hartenstein to come off the bench, suggests the veteran center’s play-making and screening will help make the offense more versatile, which the Thunder could’ve used in this year’s playoffs.
The Lauri Markkanen trade rumors are a reflection of the Jazz‘s awkward current position, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required). As Larsen details, if they hang onto Markkanen, the Jazz risk winning too many games next season to have a legitimate shot at landing a future star in the 2025 draft; but there are no guarantees they’ll be able to draft that future star even if they do trade him, and going that route would further delay their timeline for contending.

Trade/FA Rumors: Markkanen, Westbrook, DeRozan, Achiuwa, Trent

July 1st, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed a report from his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst stating that the Warriors are among the teams with interest in trading for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (YouTube link).

“Utah is not sure it wants to trade (Markkanen), but they have to listen; they’ve been listening,” Wojnarowski said. “And a lot of the teams that missed out on Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn have transferred over to try and see if they can land Lauri Markkanen from Utah. Golden State is one of those teams.”

Here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:

According to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has “pushed behind the scenes” for the Nuggets to trade for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, himself a former NBA MVP. Wind hears Jokic has wanted to play with Westbrook for multiple seasons. Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated confirms (via Twitter) Wind’s reporting, adding that DeAndre Jordan has been supportive of the idea of adding Westbrook as well. According to Linn, the Clips are exploring “several” trade possibilities for Westbrook, and even if he isn’t traded to Denver directly, it’s possible he might eventually land with the Nuggets.
The Bulls and DeMar DeRozan appear destined to part ways, with a source telling Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the six-time All-Star will be landing elsewhere. According to Cowley, DeRozan made up his mind to leave once Chicago traded Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City for Josh Giddey. The Bulls have been targeting younger players in free agency, re-signing restricted free agent Patrick Williams and agreeing to a three-year deal with big man Jalen Smith.
While the Knicks chose not to tender a qualifying offer to forward/center Precious Achiuwa, they are still open to a potential reunion with the 24-year-old, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic. Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears (via Twitter) interest in a reunion is mutual, but the young big man is also drawing interest from “several” contenders, so he could have multiple options to choose from.
There hasn’t been much news related to Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr., a 25-year-old unrestricted free agent who earned $18.6MM last season. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, GM Bobby Webster said before free agency opened that a return to Toronto was still possible, assuming the terms were agreeable for both sides. “You want to be strategic about what’s tradable, what’s not tradable,” Webster said of Trent. “We have some big contracts coming up in the future, so it’ll just have to be something that makes sense for everyone.”

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