The Oklahoma City Thunder don't want to lose Alex Caruso this offseason, and it's easy to understand why. You can look no further than his impact in the 2026 playoffs, or at what LeBron James said on the Mind the Game podcast about his former teammate:
"We always talk about Alex Caruso a lot. It's those certain guys that you can plug into any franchise, any team, and they're going to win because those guys make winning plays."
Oklahoma City couldn't have gotten a better return for Josh Giddey than the one it did. The 2021 lottery pick wanted to leave the Thunder for a larger role elsewhere, and Sam Presti swapped him for Caruso without giving up any assets in a move that was instantly a win.
Less than a year later, Caruso helped OKC win the 2025 title.
Thunder know they can't afford to lose Alex Caruso
The guard did his best to help shorthanded OKC make it back to the NBA Finals for a second straight year, averaging 14.9 points and 1.3 steals per game in the 2026 conference finals, shooting 47.7% from the field and 50% from three. He knows how to rise to the occasion, and did so after shooting a career-low 29.3% from deep in the regular season.
As Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported soon after the Thunder's season ended, the team values all that Caruso brings to the table, labeling him as a "firm member" of their "long-term core."
The Thunder will be right back in the mix to win the title next year, and they're smart enough to know Caruso needs to be part of it (unlike the Lakers). He's under contract for three more years. He'll make $19.5 million next season, a price OKC will happily pay even with its roster set to get significantly more expensive with the Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren extensions kicking in.
Cutting Caruso's salary to make the Thunder's increased finances more manageable rightfully shouldn't be in the cards. Look at what happened to Los Angeles when it let him walk in 2021 free agency, rather than pay him.
Five years later, the Lakers are still trying to find their next Alex Caruso, who can help them win another title. When you have a winning player like that on your roster, you pay up. LeBron understands that, but Rob Pelinka didn't. Presti, who is the best in the business for a reason, does.
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