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aboveAverage wrote:Has Thybulle fixed his shooting? All I remember is that his defense was good, but he was unplayable for Philly because teams didn’t have to guard him. If that’s the case, I’d pass.

Every team in the postseason race would have a use for a player like Caruso. He proved he can be an integral rotation player on a title team with the Lakers in the 2019-20 season and has only improved since then.

He is, for my money, the best defensive guard in the NBA. He flies around on that end, making wild anticipatory rotations with active hands that disrupt every exchange and bother every potential jumper. On the ball, he can handle just about anyone at the one through three positions and can even switch onto the less powerful fours.

On offense, Caruso reads plays incredibly quickly while processing the game at an elite level. He has a pristine understanding of spacing, can make touch passes in transition or in the half court and always makes the extra pass to generate a great shot. There is no selfishness to his game. While he’s typically been a reluctant shooter, he’s upped his volume from distance substantially this season while converting at a career high rate. To top it off, he’s signed to an incredible contract that pays him less than $10 million in each of the next two seasons.

If the Bulls decide to move Caruso, as they should given their need to rebuild, there would be a genuine bidding war. Every contender should bend over backward to acquire a player like him who is low-usage yet elite without the ball in his hands. And because his contract is so small, nearly every team in the league has enough matching salary to get involved.

I debated leaving Caruso off this list entirely. The Bulls have been reluctant so far to engage in Caruso trade discussions, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which lines up with the impression I’ve received from sources on other teams who have tried to reach out.

But Caruso is much more valuable to a contender than he is to this Bulls team. He’s 30 years old, with a history of injuries due to how hard he plays, and the Bulls are more than 18 months away from contending. Given the price Caruso is likely to fetch due to the wide market of teams interested in acquiring him, it’s hard for me (and other executives league-wide) to fathom why the Bulls wouldn’t move him.

Milbucks96 wrote:Caruso is hurt too much for me but other than that he would be a great fit. I think I like the guys who can guard up though like a Thybulle or Finney-smith. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to get any of those guys but it’s probably not a wrong answer. One would help this team a lot.

yb90 wrote:Since in Portland Thybulle has been shooting nearly 38% from three on around just under 4 attempts a game. He is basically a better version of the best version of Pat and who Marjon will likely be with time to develop more.

GoldenAntlers wrote:

Milbucks96 wrote:Caruso is hurt too much for me but other than that he would be a great fit. I think I like the guys who can guard up though like a Thybulle or Finney-smith. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to get any of those guys but it’s probably not a wrong answer. One would help this team a lot.

I was just thinking, "Would he even be available come playoffs?"

raferfenix wrote:Is Caruso really up “the best defensive guard in the NBA” or in that conversation at a baseline?

Baddy Chuck wrote:I think Caruso's price is probably pretty fair and think he's pretty underrated by some, especially when comparing him to say Thybulle. I don't think it can't really understated how having a defensive guy who is a triple threat guy offensively is kinda awesome. I think Caruso's ability to handle the ball, attack closeouts, make the right pass, etc would be pretty invaluable on our squad. I understand the value part of the equation though and definitely get the putting all your eggs in one basket type move it might be to get Caruso compared to spreading it out elsewhere.

emunney wrote:

Baddy Chuck wrote:I think Caruso's price is probably pretty fair and think he's pretty underrated by some, especially when comparing him to say Thybulle. I don't think it can't really understated how having a defensive guy who is a triple threat guy offensively is kinda awesome. I think Caruso's ability to handle the ball, attack closeouts, make the right pass, etc would be pretty invaluable on our squad. I understand the value part of the equation though and definitely get the putting all your eggs in one basket type move it might be to get Caruso compared to spreading it out elsewhere.

I do think, though, that for us, Thybulle is probably more attainable and at least as good a fit. Having him chase over screens in drop coverage is a cheat with Brook waiting and Giannis roaming the weakside. It would make us a lot better.

Maybe we can get Jevon back, too.

jakecronus8 wrote:Figure out a way to turn Middleton into Smart and Thybulle. Profit