Every head coach in the NBA has a reputation. They need a signature. If they don’t have one, they probably aren’t head coach material. With that said, few coaches have a reputation that’s as ironclad as Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks.
What’s Thibs known for? Defence. Thibodeau demands maximum effort out of his players. Typically, he gets it. With that said, the Knicks inverted expectations last season. This team’s defense was unremarkable. Instead, the Knicks had a successful season with one of the league’s best offenses.
It was interesting. It was unexpected. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Thibodeau wanted the Knicks to make moves to improve their defensive personnel this summer. An elite point-of-attack defender could go a long way to improving the Knicks’ performance on that end of the floor. How about Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls?
The Trade Proposal
Chicago Bulls Receive: G/F Evan Fournier, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G/F Alex Caruso, G Jevon Carter, C Andre Drummond
With that said, the Knicks weren’t the only team to subvert expectations last season. The Bulls were not expected to defend well, but they should have had one of the league’s best offenses. Perhaps these two teams stumbled into some sort of weird, Freaky Friday scenario.
After all, the Bulls had plenty of stopping power. They had one of the league’s best defenses. On the other hand, their offense was anemic. It seemed like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic just didn’t have any chemistry. On some nights, the Bulls couldn’t buy a bucket.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls & New York Knicks Updates
Did their coach play a role in that outcome? It’s fair to say that Billy Donovan is more known for his defensive prowess than his offensive ingenuity. Still, one would assume that anybody could coach LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic into an elite offense – this can’t be Donovan’s fault. Either way, the Bulls had a generally underwhelming season. Should they trade Caruso as a result?
Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal
If the Bulls made this deal, we’d assume that they’d make other deals. This could be the first step towards a rebuild. That would probably be a sensible decision. The Bulls had a disappointing season, and it’s hard to envision their avenue toward short-term improvement.
If they agree, they should like Fournier’s expiring contract. The Bulls could do a lot of things with that cap relief. They could be major players in the next crop of restricted free agents to hit the market. This could be a step towards acquiring the young talent that they’ll need in order to rebuild.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls & New York Knicks Updates
Of course, so is landing an unprotected first-round pick. That’s the major draw for the Bulls here. If they do decide to rebuild, this would be a good trade for the Bulls to make. Is it the right move for the Knicks.
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
This isn’t complicated for the Knicks. It’s a win-now move. This team has a head coach who values defense, and they didn’t deliver on that end of the floor last season. If Alex Caruso can’t solve that problem, nobody can.
After all, he’s one of the best defensive guards in the NBA – if not the best. Caruso can guard multiple positions. He’s an elite man-to-man defender and a fantastic defensive playmaker. Caruso would be a tremendous addition to this team.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls & New York Knicks Updates
For that matter, Carter would be a solid addition in his own right. By contrast, Drummond is simply a contract matcher here. Finally, the Knicks would be making a wise choice to move on from Fournier. He fell out of this team’s rotation last season. Apparently, his defense wasn’t up to Tom Thibodeau’s standards.
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