Alex Caruso Defends Coby White, Offseason Trade Candidates, and Other Bulls Bullets

Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls

Good morning to everyone except those who voted Tyrese Maxey first for the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

  • As I clarified in our Coby White snubbed post, I have absolutely nothing against Tyrese Maxey. He’s an outstanding player with a bright future ahead of him. But the truth of the matter is that we knew that heading into this season. What we didn’t know is that White would finish among the league’s top 30 scorers and play the third-most minutes in the league. We also didn’t know that he’d drop 42 points in a do-or-die Play-In Tournament game and average career highs across the board. This was the epitome of a breakout season for White, and I’m extremely frustrated that he isn’t going to get the acknowledgment he deserves for it.
  • Shoutout out to Alex Caruso for speaking straight facts …
  • Caruso might be in line to be the only Bulls player to receive some end-of-season recognition. Another All-Defensive First-Team selection should be in his future after finishing top 4 in estimated defensive plus-minus, per Dunks & Threes. Aside from Marcus Smart who played only 20 games this season, Caruso was the highest-ranking guard in DEF EPM. CROWN THIS MAN!
  • DeMar DeRozan also has a chance to take home some hardware as the NBA’s second-ever Clutch Player of the Year. While I’d like to consider him the favorite, Maxey stealing MIP has me a bit worried the most star-powered Stephen Curry could do the same to DeRozan. I guess we’ll find out soon enough, as TNT will announce the winner on Thursday night.
  • As I think more about the offseason, I think more about Alex Caruso’s potential availability. While it sure feels like this front office values him too much, there is no denying he remains one of their best trade chips. If the idea is truly to shake up this roster in a meaningful way and bring some younger/fresher faces into the fold, moving Caruso might be one of the best ways to get that done. The Golden State Warriors were reportedly interested in his services this past offseason, so perhaps they’ll pick up the phone again. The Bulls may have wasted their opportunity to get maximum value, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a needy Warriors team still offered quite the intriguing package. It’ll be something to keep an eye on.
  • Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls
    © Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

  • The more sneaky trade candidate to keep an eye on this summer might be Nikola Vucevic. A handful of teams around the league could be in need of a new big man, and Vucevic remains a double-double machine on a relatively decent contract. If the Nets lose Nic Claxton in free agency, could they be open to a Vucevic deal? What if the Thunder want to spice things up and add a traditional five? Would the Warriors want Vucevic AND Caruso? Look, I’m not saying I expect anything to happen, but this is the kind of stuff the front office has to think about if they really want to change things in a legitimate way.
  • ICYMI: Billy Donovan has made some changes to his coaching staff. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson clarified that Mo Cheeks’ move off the bench was a decision made by the HOFer. He’ll remain with the Bulls but no longer serve as a full-time head coach. The Bulls now have some coaches to hire!
  • If you haven’t heard of the Tyrese Haliburton voice phenomenon, I recommend you listen to the video below. This dude speaks in two completely different tones!
  • https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1782978355953881460

  • My brain needs some way to not think about the Chicago Bulls all the time, so I’ll be popping up on the Cubs page a little this offseason. Read my short post on Jefferson Rojas here …
  • PROTECT CALEB AT ALL COSTS!
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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