Oklahoma City has shut down Alex Caruso.
Caruso and the Thunder agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract extension Sunday night, his agent told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Thunder announced an extension Sunday night, too, but did not disclose the terms of the trade. Caruso, who is in his first season with the Thunder, is set to become a free agent next summer. The 30-year-old will remain under contract with the organization through the 2028-29 campaign.
Caruso, who actually started with the Thunder’s G League team after coming out of Texas A&M in 2017, spent his first four seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Lakers – who won the title with him in 2020. Caruso then spent three three. seasons with the Chicago Bulls before being traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for Josh Giddey last summer. He first became eligible for a contract extension on Saturday, so the Thunder didn’t waste any time getting the deal done.
The two-time NBA All-Defensive Team guard has shined with the franchise this season, too. He averaged 5.7 points and 2.9 assists per game off the bench, but ranked in the top five in the league in turnovers, field goal percentage allowed and points per direct hit allowed. as a ball-defender, according to ESPN. He is also averaging a career-high 1.9 steals per game this season.
Perhaps more importantly, he helped lead Oklahoma City to a Western Conference-best 22-5 start this season heading into Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards. They reached the NBA Cup championship game too, but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas last week. Caruso has just two points, both of which are from the free throw line, in that loss. They were held to a low-scoring season in the title game, too.
The Thunder went 57-25 last season and reached the Western Conference finals, which was the team’s deepest finish since falling in the conference finals in 2016. While the Thunder’s success will stop depending on how stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren – who is out with a hip injury – can handle them, Caruso should be able to provide great depth and a very strong lead for Oklahoma City next year coming
