Veteran guard Alex Caruso and the Thunder have agreed to a four-year, $81MM contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. The team has officially announced the deal in a press release.
Caruso became eligible for the $81,096,960 extension on Saturday. Because it has been six months since he was traded to the Thunder, he was allowed to sign for up to 140% of this season’s estimated average salary ($12.93MM) and for up to four new years. Prior to Saturday, his maximum extension would have been worth $48,875,400 over three new years.
The extension will begin at $18,102,000 in 2025/26 and will rise annually by 8%, increasing to $22,446,480 by the final season. It’s unclear whether or not it will be fully guaranteed.
Caruso was due to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He’s in the last year of a four-year, $36.98MM contract.
Caruso was traded straight up by the Bulls for Josh Giddey in June. He’s one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, earning All-Defensive team nods each of the past two seasons.
He started 57 of 71 games with the Bulls last season but has come off the bench in all 19 games in which he’s played for his new team this season. He’s averaging 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a career-high 1.9 steals in 20.2 minutes per contest.
Caruso shot a career-best 46.8% from the field last season but has struggled with his shooting this season (38.5%). However, he has helped Oklahoma City become the league’s premier defensive club. The Thunder have allowed the fewest points per game in the NBA. They also lead the league in opponents’ field goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
Caruso’s extension means the Thunder no longer project to have any 2025 unrestricted free agents on their standard roster.
If he regresses defensively which can happen bc he’s closer to 30, then the final 2 years are dreadful. Good value for now but he’s also injury prone so I’m looking to see how he handles/protects his body as he gets older.
Hes about to turn 31 actually. I dont love this deal at those numbers with his age. He guards bigs enough to get banged on, and is already having a terrible year shooting the ball.
Yeah I just saw he recently turned 30. I mean it’s a total win now move but I think OKC overpaid the last two years of that deal.
He turns 31 in less than 2 months.
He’ll actually be 31 in two months, which makes your point all the more relevant. Don’t think I would’ve given him that 4th year or, if I did, I’d try to leverage that into a lower AAV. But with the championship window now, I get it.
@raz427 it’s never going to be a bad contract because the Thunder just need contracts in order to trade for better players in the future. Especially when they are over the second apron, they can’t aggregate players in trades so they will need $20 million + contracts of players they don’t need.
Who is to say they will ever go over the 2nd apron?
What gives you the idea the Thunder will ever be a tax team nevermind a 2nd apron team. Have you forgotten what they did do the last contending team they had when salaries got tight?
Comparable to Dillon Brooks
4 years $80m plus incentive fully G
Lakers wanted to sign Caruso $6 million?
Now Lakers don’t want him any more. He is done with Lakers
It’s a little overpay but the thunder can easily get rid of this contract with the plethora of draft picks they have and they need bad contracts to unload anyway for other stars as others have said.
I don’t hate the contract….but don’t love it either. However, grand scheme of things, it’s very very very minor whether Caruso lives up to it or not.
Lakers would love to have him but they have nothing to trade for him. Now it will not happen. there fixed it for you.
Interesting, I dont think it is a bad deal at all but at the same time I dont know if I would have committed to Caruso like this
They have 2 seasons before they have 3 max extensions for JW/Chet/Super max Shai…
The vultures could be circling in two years to see who falls through the cracks due to the OKC payroll issues to come.
I might have front loaded it as much as possible for next year since Chet/JW get expensive in 1 more year.
@Brabo – they just need contracts with high AAVs in the future to trade for better players. You don’t only want your best players making a lot otherwise you have to trade them to match salary. That’s why guys like Josh Okogie and Kenyon Martin Jr are making $16 mil/yr
I mean it makes sense, but is Caruso the best player to tie that money to? I am not mad at the move but also not a hugee fan of it
In the NBA, it really doesn’t matter. That’s why average players get these contracts year after year. You gotta match salaries or you are stuck with your current players
If you wouldn’t commit to him, then it would be a bad deal.
Why not?
Did you watch Kings game tonight?
DeRozan
3 years $75m contract
28 minutes
Starter
2 points
2 assists
2 rebounds
I am now a better player than DeRiozan
Kings are down for many years to come
The Kings aren’t down because Demar had one bad offensive game. They’re down because they have a flawed roster and a head coach making things worse with poor substitutions and zero feel for the game who refuses to prioritize defense even when it’s needed most.
Wow that’s a terrible deal for a defensive guy who has zero offensive game. What a great time to be a role player in the nba
@13Morgs13 Need to be able to match salaries in trades in the NBA. Don’t want to have to trade Chet or Jalen in 3 years to improve their team
I loved the trade from the thunder perspective when it happened. But I really dispise his schtick because he whines way too much for a scrub.
I think I was cool with him until one warrior game two years ago when he grabbed Steph’s arm right in front of the camera for everyone and their brother to see, and after the whistle blew for the foul, he grabbed his face and ran down the court, screaming “OMFG.” I was like, bro you’re such a freaking liar.
I have no respect for the man who does that kind of crap and don’t give me they all do it. They don’t all do it.
Anyway, I think he’s good for the thunder and brings the grit and defense necessary to team up with Dort on the lockdown for the playoffs. I think it will manifest well for them this year. Another thing is I don’t see this guy staying healthy for 70 games over each of four years.
I guess I saved all my unloading over the last week for one comment lol
Horrible for OKC. Way too much money for that guy.
Love Alex but I have to agree
Most likely they will send a 1st off in 2 yrs to offlaod his salary into a better player
People need to realize that you have to match salaries in trades. If they want to trade for an all-star in the future, they need big salaries that aren’t Shai, Chet, or J-Will. That’s why he’s making what he is…
Sure, but a $16MM AAV could still match just as well as a $20MM AAV contract could while being cheaper. What you don’t want is to have a negative multi-year contract left on the books as that would diminish any return you get, or at least force you to further sweeten the pot. That’s why that 4th year is so crucial if, say, he starts to decline end of year 2 or early year 3.
His contract would literally be just to match salaries. The real trade would be the first round picks. If a rebuilding team is getting back seven 1st, who cares what salary is attached to it? With salaries going up every year $16 mil isn’t going to do much in a match. He’s at $22.5 in year 4. Another reason why they signed Hartenstein to that huge contact. They can trade him in year 3. Why Caruso got a 4th year? Probably the only way they could get him to sign the extension now. With the extension in place now, it’s one less thing they need to worry about next offseason.
Naw nobody was offering Alex over 3/45 in free agency
It was an overpay no doubt, sure they will trade him but Shea is correct trading a 3/45 is much better than a 4/82
Overpay, I love Alex but his game isn’t one that travels well with age whatsoever
For example- Giannis becomes available next year, OKC obv favorites….they aint gonna want AC back in that deal with 4 years left. theyd go IHart Wiggins Wallace and KWillams and tell OKC no way jose on Alex .
So much money floating around the league. Saquan Barkley has to bust his head 20 times per game for half that amount of guaranteed dough.
Saquon should have played basketball then…
He chose the wrong sport then but yall be obssesed with egg ball hyping it up so…deal with it
Sorry, what language is this?
Maybe Presti is not a genius after all.
Need big salaries to trade in the future
Yeah, Lakers had no need for him.
81M for a guy coming off the bench???
With a 10% increase in the cap that is expected this deal isn’t actually that much. Midlevel is going to be about 14 million next season. Caruso will be making jist over 18.
Not at all what I’d pay for him. Years and money.
An overpay, but it’s good that some of these small market teams have realized that you need to spend to contend ….. (as James Harden shakes his head 12 years too late).
This deal doesn’t even put OKC into the tax next year. With 14 players under contract they are projected to still have 13 million in room under the tax.
I’m not really sure that qualifies as a small market spending in any way that they haven’t in the past. They have always been willing to spend up to the luxury tax when they have been competitive. So until the actually pay the tax this is business as usual for OKC.
Wow
That’s a lot for a sixth man. He’s not worth more than Hart. They could have signed him for less imo.
It shows OKC is committed to a run next few yrs.