Alex Caruso has proven to be an integral part of this championship-winning OKC Thunder rotation ever since he was traded to the club back in 2024.
Yet, over time, his playing time has gradually dropped with each passing season, going from 28.7 minutes per game during his final stint with the Bulls to 19.3 minutes in his debut campaign in Oklahoma City and, just last year, 18.2 minutes on average.
Now, with the offseason departures of guys like Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, some may think their vacated playing time could now be absorbed by the veteran, which, in turn, should help snap his declining MPG trend.
However, with the expectation that coach Mark Daigneault will be looking to test out what he has in a number of his younger guard talents on the roster, such as Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and perhaps even rookie Bennett Stirtz, seeing an increase in on-court action for Caruso should by no means be anticipated.
In fact, given his injury history and his advanced age relative to the rest of his teammates, the belief should be that his minutes distribution will continue on this downward trajectory, especially if their ultimate goal is to win another title in 2027.
Thunder should continue to play long-game with Alex Caruso
Caruso's limited minutes during the regular season over these past few years have not been due to underwhelming production. In fact, it's due to quite the opposite.
Throughout his Thunder tenure, the veteran has established himself as a riser when the stakes have been at their highest, particularly during the postseason.
Whether it was his regular two-way difference-making performances during Oklahoma City's 2025 title run, or during this past postseason, where he ranked ninth in the entire association in plus-minus, examples of Caruso shining bright when the pressure is on are quite abundant.
Frankly, this is why the Thunder should be rather reluctant to shell out a ton of minutes to the 32-year-old during the regular season, for his purpose on this squad is to rise to the occasion once the playoffs get underway.
Caruso has regularly been unavailable throughout his decade-long NBA career, playing in over 65 games in a season just twice. He's yet to play more than 56 games since joining the Thunder.
And yet, despite his limited regular-season action, he has yet to miss a single playoff game with the Thunder so far.
There seems to be a clear correlation when it comes to Caruso's lessened role in the regular season and his iron man status come the postseason.
Because of this, expect the Thunder to continue on with their trend of reducing his minutes from the season prior in 2026-27.
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