The New York Knicks reportedly pursued Alex Caruso before he was traded by the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Knicks and Sacramento Kings both offered “draft capital” in exchange for Caruso before the Bulls ultimately moved him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Per Johnson, both teams felt that their trade packages were “superior” compared to the completed deal.
Chicago received 21-year-old Josh Giddey from the Thunder in return for the defensive-minded guard, although no draft picks were exchanged in the trade.
Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Monday that the Kings were “close” to trading for Caruso and planned to include the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft as part of the return.
Although the exact draft capital of New York’s offer isn’t known, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer revealed on Friday that the team was “contacting” opposing front offices to discuss trades involving center Mitchell Robinson.
It isn’t difficult to see why playoff contenders such as the Thunder, Knicks, and Kings were all interested in the 30-year-old. He’s earned All-Defensive nods in each of the past two seasons, averaging 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game since the Bulls signed him as a free agent in 2021.
Caruso also took a leap offensively during his 2023-24 campaign, averaging a career-high 10.1 points per game and hitting 40.8 percent of his three-point attempts. He also recorded 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists compared to just 1.4 turnovers each night.
It’s interesting that Chicago didn’t prefer offers centered around draft picks, as the team appears to be moving forward with a focus on younger players such as 24-year-old Coby White. While Giddey is only three years into his career, he’s also eligible to receive a rookie-scale extension this summer.
With their amount of draft capital remaining the same after Friday’s trade, the Bulls currently own the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft.