Bad Timing: Alex Caruso Out for the Night with Right Foot Sprain

I have to admit I wasn’t actually watching this game live when Alex Caruso injured his foot tonight — they’re calling it a right foot sprain — but Eli is currently enjoying a Bucks game in Milwaukee. So you’re stuck with me. And while I can’t tell you how bad the injury looked when it happened, I can tell you that Caruso is very important to the Bulls right now.

If they’re going to keep their foot on the gas through the deadline and try to make a run of it, Caruso will be crucial to that success. If they finally relent and decide to sell at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline (which is just one week away …), Caruso could be one of the most attractive trade chips on the market for a contender. Indeed, teams are literally already calling the Bulls, who have reportedly set a *sky high* asking price.

So losing him for literally any period of time right now is not ideal. At *a minimum,* contenders may now have some (admittedly thin) leverage in negotiations. I don’t know, Mr. Karnisovas, he did have that foot injury a few days ago.

Hopefully, it’s less serious than that. Indeed, the Bulls may be acting overly cautious precisely *because* they are considering some of the above. I guess we’ll find out more after the game/tomorrow.