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Not sure if already posted. If so please merge or delete. I actually feel for Caruso. I think he’s been a huge loss defensively. He’s been very appreciated in Chicago, so it worked out. Still sucks he didn’t feel wanted despite playing the way he did for the Lakers.



The GOAT will not be merciful.

He was just a role player and playin better than expected.. even if he was a fan favorite they probably didn’t feel like he could have kept being productive in that way.. you really have no say unless you are a super star in this league..

Dumb decision by the Lakers, he was great as a Laker

The High Cyde wrote:Dumb decision by the Lakers, he was great as a Laker

Very dumb. He’s better than THT and the exact kind of guy who thrives on a LeBron team.

He’s doing great on the Bulls, fortunately.

This has been known since the day after free agency started.

Jeanie Buss said no to 3/27 (Caruso offered to take a 3 year deal instead of 4/37) and the additional 36 million dollar lux tax bill every year.

Not my money though. Busses aren't rich (relatively speaking) and since the Lakers are their primary business, COVID didn't exactly do their bottom line any favours (we all remember they got "shamed" into giving back 40 million in PPE loans right?)

Also could have traded for Lowry and Hield which would be better than having Westbrook and THT.

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i'm just glad he's doing well on the bulls. great player to have on the team. if the lakers gel, maybe they won't really need him. if they don't gel, he wasn't gonna be able to help much on his own.

Dr Aki wrote:This has been known since the day after free agency started.

Jeanie Buss said no to 3/27 (Caruso offered to take a 3 year deal instead of 4/37) and the additional 36 million dollar lux tax bill every year.

Not my money though. Busses aren't rich (relatively speaking) and since the Lakers are their primary business, and COVID didn't do their bottom line any favours (we all remember they got "shamed" into giving back 40 million in PPE loans right?)

I’m glad you pointed out this was a financial decision and not a basketball one. I’ve seen a lot of people blame Pelinka for Caruso not being here anymore and it’s ridiculous.

Dr Aki wrote:This has been known since the day after free agency started.

Jeanie Buss said no to 3/27 (Caruso offered to take a 3 year deal instead of 4/37) and the additional 36 million dollar lux tax bill every year.

Not my money though. Busses aren't rich (relatively speaking) and since the Lakers are their primary business, COVID didn't exactly do their bottom line any favours (we all remember they got "shamed" into giving back 40 million in PPE loans right?)

This. Everyone on the basketball side loved AC. Developed him from g-league call-up to a legit NBA player. Not to mention a fan favorite and an underdog story. But you can't talk about this decision without mentioning the lux tax.

I only hope they shopped him around at last year's deadline to gauge his value before deciding not to match the offer sheet. Love Caruso, him and Lonzo are the reason I watch some Bulls games this season. If you swap Westbrook for those two in the backcourt, Lakers would have a legitimate chance of winning, even over a healthy Nets team.

i mean how much different is 2/15 from 10 per yr?
if you want to be a laker you need to make sacrifices to win that title. lebron expected demar to take mle, ofc caruso should get paid less. a storied franchisie like lakers making mle there is equivalent to making twice on a tanking team.
buss family is broke as hell i would have made 4/20 offer 2/15 is more than respectable.

Money doesn't grow on trees, and I can understand choosing not sign him for financial reasons, what I'll never understand is preferring to spend the money on THT instead of him.

Dr Aki wrote:This has been known since the day after free agency started.

Jeanie Buss said no to 3/27 (Caruso offered to take a 3 year deal instead of 4/37) and the additional 36 million dollar lux tax bill every year.

Not my money though. Busses aren't rich (relatively speaking) and since the Lakers are their primary business, COVID didn't exactly do their bottom line any favours (we all remember they got "shamed" into giving back 40 million in PPE loans right?)

4th yr is nonguaranteed so 3/27 is better he could get tens of millions if he bet on himself.

Slava wrote:I only hope they shopped him around at last year's deadline to gauge his value before deciding not to match the offer sheet. Love Caruso, him and Lonzo are the reason I watch some Bulls games this season. If you swap Westbrook for those two in the backcourt, Lakers would have a legitimate chance of winning, even over a healthy Nets team.

Facts. They both add defense, floor spacing and passing. Something westbrook isn't very good at anymore. Then there's the whole contract situation and Westbrooks high usage.

Caruso has been a turnover prone defensive liability in Chicago that is currently a net negative.

I think the Lakers projection for him are going to turn out to be accurate - that his new team was going to overpay him and his Chicago contract is going to be the biggest contract of his career. He may even end up back on the Lakers for the minimum after the Bulls.

In other words, the Lakers offer was fair and actually generous because AC is not really even worth 2 years $15 million. He's absolutely not worth what the Bulls are paying him which is close to $10 million per season.

The Lakers got the best value out of Caruso and Chicago will get the worst value out of Caruso.



Another reason why the Lakers win here is because Austin Reaves has replaced Caruso on an undrafted rookie salary and he's already better than Caruso.

Pennebaker wrote:Caruso has been a turnover prone defensive liability in Chicago that is currently a net negative.

I think the Lakers projection for him are going to turn out to be accurate - that his new team was going to overpay him and his Chicago contract is going to be the biggest contract of his career. He may even end up back on the Lakers for the minimum after the Bulls.

In other words, the Lakers offer was fair and actually generous because AC is not really even worth 2 years $15 million. He's absolutely not worth what the Bulls are paying him which is close to $10 million per season.

The Lakers got the best value out of Caruso and Chicago will get the worst value out of Caruso.



Another reason why the Lakers win here is because Austin Reaves has replaced Caruso on an undrafted rookie salary and he's already better than Caruso.

Caruso being a net negative on defense is not something I'd have expected.

DroseReturnChi wrote:i mean how much different is 2/15 from 10 per yr?
if you want to be a laker you need to make sacrifices to win that title. lebron expected demar to take mle, ofc caruso should get paid less. a storied franchisie like lakers making mle there is equivalent to making twice on a tanking team.
buss family is broke as hell i would have made 4/20 offer 2/15 is more than respectable.

Lol that is fantasyland thinking. Lebron sure didn't take less. He could have easily signed for $20 Mil/season both to give more cap room and serve as an example of willing to take less.

It would be idiotic to take less when all the highest paid players on the team haven't. Imagine taking less only to then watch the team waste that money in Westbrook.

Not a fan of LeBron’s input at all. This guy plays hard, spaces the floor well.

Caruso is learning how to fit on a new team. He's going to be fine. By the end of the year he will be an important piece for the Bulls.

Pennebaker wrote:Caruso has been a turnover prone defensive liability in Chicago that is currently a net negative.

I think the Lakers projection for him are going to turn out to be accurate - that his new team was going to overpay him and his Chicago contract is going to be the biggest contract of his career. He may even end up back on the Lakers for the minimum after the Bulls.

In other words, the Lakers offer was fair and actually generous because AC is not really even worth 2 years $15 million. He's absolutely not worth what the Bulls are paying him which is close to $10 million per season.

The Lakers got the best value out of Caruso and Chicago will get the worst value out of Caruso.



Another reason why the Lakers win here is because Austin Reaves has replaced Caruso on an undrafted rookie salary and he's already better than Caruso.

I like Caruso but you’re right.

& I really hate the overreaction to a very young season as to whether the lakers made the right choice or not.

All I know is that regardless of the lakers winning or losing, they’re must see TV for the entire season. Which is money in the bank for the Buss family


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