The Real Reason Lakers Let Alex Caruso Walk Away Revealed

The Los Angeles Lakers let Alex Caruso sign with another team and fans are pretty bothered. I mean, he was a fan favorite and everyone likes him. Caruso came all the way from the G-League and became a key player for the Lakers.

Well, great Caruso inked a deal with the Chicago Bulls. He will stay a few years with Michael Jordan’s team. Why did LA let him walk away? Reports suggested that the Lakers didn’t do much to keep Caruso on the roster. The guard left the team but found a new home right away.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the situation was slightly different. LA really wanted to re-sign Caruso. However, the front office was unable to beat the offer Chicago made.

“A source with knowledge of the negotiations strongly refuted the inference that he wasn’t wanted back. That doesn’t change the fact that Caruso’s side claimed to be confused about the communication element of the negotiation, but it seems the Lakers’ calculus was similar to the one Milwaukee faced with P.J. Tucker.

“In both situations, there was a price point that both franchises were willing to go to based on the exorbitant luxury-tax hit that would come their way. And in the end, after initial interest, they simply decided to part ways when the price went too high. …”

The Lakers let Alex Caruso go, but bring new faces to LA

The former Lakers guard signed a four-year deal worth $37 million. He reunites with Lonzo Ball and joins forces with Zach LaVine and Coby White.

Lakers general Rob Pelinka signed a bunch of veterans on cheap contracts. He brought Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, and many others to Los Angeles. Dwight Howard re-signed with the team, and yes, he came to win a ring. The Lakers also kept Talen Horton-Tucker, offering him a three-year deal and added depth to the backcourt with the Kendrick Nunn signing.

The Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook before the 2021 NBA Draft, and this put a huge question mark on Caruso’s future with the team.