Over the years, the NBA game has changed considerably. It used to be a one-on-one endeavor. The best teams ran isolation plays for their best players more often. As a result, one-on-one defenders were more valuable.
The game has changed. We see more motion and pick-and-roll offense in the modern NBA. So, guard defenders have lost their importance. Instead, teams build schemes around big men who can switch wings.
Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls is a glaring exception. He’s arguably the best guard defender in the NBA. Caruso can also play up a position and defend wings. Yet, his Bulls are having a mediocre season. Could they send Caruso to the Golden State Warriors?
NBA Trade Proposal: Golden State Warriors Land Chicago Bulls’ Alex Caruso
Chicago Bulls Receive: F Jonathan Kuminga, G/F Moses Moody
Golden State Warriors Receive: G/F Alex Caruso
The league has shifted more towards offense than ever before. There are players around the league who can score at will. It wasn’t always this way – ask the Chicago Bulls.
Throughout the 1990s, Michael Jordan was unstoppable. The league wasn’t littered with similar players. Jordan was elite – he’d dominate in any era of basketball.
Still, he stood above his competition during his era. Stephen Curry has dominated the league as much as any guard since Jordan. It’s similar, but it’s different.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors Updates
Where the Bulls ran a triangle offense designed to get Jordan the ball, the Warriors have succeeded with a motion offense built around Curry’s off-ball gravity. IN 2023-24, that system has ground to a halt.
Could Caruso help revive the Warriors?
Why The Golden State Warriors Do The Deal
Absolutely. In a sense, Caruso would be a direct replacement for Klay Thompson. Time has gotten the better of Thompson. At this point, he’s not the elite 3-and-D guard that he was during the Warriors’ dynasty.
Caruso can take the mantle. He may be the best defensive guard in basketball. Caruso isn’t as elite of a movement shooter as Thompson was, but he’s still a reliable threat from deep. He’ll make the Warriors a much better team.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors Updates
Is he coming at the expense of their future? Sure. At the same time, Kuminga and Moody already seem frustrated with the Warriors. We’ve got this organization taking one more shot at an NBA title while Curry is still near his prime.
Should the Bulls help them take that shot?
Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal
There’s much speculation about what the Bulls may do at the deadline. Their highest-paid player is Zach LaVine, but he’s said to have minimal trade value. Caruso’s value will be high, but reports suggest that Chicago isn’t looking to move him.
They should reconsider if this deal is on the table. Suppose they’re able to flip LaVine for even a protected first. Now, imagine they find buyers for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. Suddenly, the Bulls would be in pretty good shape.
After all, they’d have a young core featuring Kuminga, Moody, and Coby White. They’d also have at least some assets – including their own picks moving forward.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors Updates
If the Bulls can even draft a one-star player, their future would suddenly be bright. In other words, this deal would be a game-changer for them.
