Over the past couple of seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder have routinely been able to slot players into their ideal roles, reserving them for when they're most desperately needed and maximizing their skill sets at the right moments.
Perhaps no player has served as a more prominent example of this trend than Alex Caruso.
Caruso is, simply put, a winning player. Although his regular-season role has been limited since Oklahoma City acquired him in exchange for Josh Giddey, his uncannily clutch perimeter shooting on on-ball defense have been absolutely integral to the Thunder's last two playoff runs. He's the type of player that, even without making a major dent in the box score, can be the difference between a championship and a second or third-round exit.
But as the Thunder continue to face the constraints of the modern CBA, there will likely need to be additional players shed from the roster. Caruso, who has three years and over $60 million remaining on his current contract, must therefore continue to prove his worth to the Thunder— or risk being the next casualty of the young core.
Alex Caruso is one of the Thunder's most important players— but he also might be one of the next candidates for the chopping block
This offseason, the Thunder were forced to move on from Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe as the extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren kicked in. They're in a tenable place right now financially, and they were able to get there without sacrificing too much of their rotational depth.
Next offseason, Oklahoma City will not only need to deal with an massive jump in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's salary, but they'll also be contending with a pay raise for Cason Wallace and looming extensions for Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain. Perhaps one of those young players gets moved.
But if the Thunder want to keep their young core intact, the next players on the chopping block won't be semi-disposable pieces. At that point, we're talking about offloading the salaries of Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Caruso, as stated above, is a massively important playoff contributor for the Thunder. During last season's run to the Western Conference Finals, he averaged 11 points and shot 44.6% from 3-point range on a diet of 23.3 minutes per game. His constant on-court activity was a sight to behold.
But with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs as the team to beat in the Western Conference, whose role becomes more integral— Hartenstein or Caruso's?
At the very least, it's a question Oklahoma City will have to consider. They can afford for Caruso to have a limited impact during the regular season— especially as they manage his health for the playoffs.
But Caruso is now left in a position where he will need to justify his salary to the Thunder front office at every turn as the financial walls continue to close in around this roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google