“Obviously this is a place that I think is going up and it’s something that I want to be a part of… I’m looking forward to hopefully having more years,” Alex Caruso said of Oklahoma City.
How about four more years?
Thunder and Caruso have agreed to a contract extension, the team announced. The contract is for four years, $81 million, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The number is right about where it is expected to land, and in total is more than double the $9.9 million it will make this season. Caruso became eligible to sign an extension on Saturday, six months after the Bulls traded him to Oklahoma City.
This is a good signing for the Thunder but, more importantly, great for Caruso, a player who came out of Texas A&M and has climbed his way to the top of the NBA.
“I think that’s a part that I haven’t really settled for anywhere I’ve been in my career,” Caruso said in Las Vegas, when he and the Thunder were there for the NBA Cup. “Like not being released to the G League with Mark (Daigneault, Thunder coach) for a year, to two ways to the end of the bench man, to the player turning to special, first team all, defense. Like, I’m not satisfied at all. “
This agreement should be somewhat satisfactory.
Caruso is a two-time All-Defensive Team player who was a key part of the Thunder’s rotation off the bench. While he doesn’t put up many stat numbers — 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game this season — he can hit 3-pointers and provide some secondary shot creation. Oklahoma City is a contender with the top-ranked defense in the league, and Caruso is a key part of all of that. This is why locking it up for four years is a smart move.
