Caruso, the top draft pick signed by the Lakers on 20 17, won unanimous praise from coaches, teammates and management with his efforts and enthusiasm. Especially after the Lakers traded Brother Thick Eyebrows and the coach changed to defensive vogel, his role in the system became more like a duck to water. Then why did he give him up when he was so good? He signed with the bulls for only four years. 37 million?
First, he is too old. He will be 28 years old next season 1994, and his talents will be displayed. As a draft loser, the Lakers management can naturally see that his upper limit has reached and there is no potential to be tapped. He can only be regarded as a system player and a jigsaw puzzle player at most. If you cooperate with the offer given by the bull, once his state declines, he will only rot in his own hands. The Lakers are more concerned about the future.
Second, when the Lakers' core was absent last season and the team was in urgent need of scoring, caruso failed to grasp his performance during the bonus period. The grasp of the offensive end depends on the weather, and the organizational ability on the court is also unremarkable. It is impossible to lead the team forward by fierce defense. The Lakers also see through his single function and are unwilling to match the quotations of other teams.
Third, Tucker was left behind by the Lakers for the mid-season trade. Half of the new aid sought by the Lakers this year are elderly people, and the state on the court is difficult to control. Although keeping Tucker will trigger his own luxury tax at present, he is still young and in good physical condition, and the transaction value is bound to be greater than that of caruso. Keep him, and then play against a poor player in the middle of the season to see if something can be done to make up for it.
Therefore, the loss of caruso on the defensive end of the team is quite big, but it doesn't have much impact on the Lakers, especially after the introduction of Nunn and Bazemore at a low price, caruso has become more dispensable. Both of them can do what caruso can do, but the scoring ability of the two recruits is beyond caruso's power.
Another point is that the bulls' signing before changing triggered a hard salary cap, so they can't directly sign caruso naked. There is a high probability that there will be a wave of trade exceptions that will allow the Lakers to get 4.3 million. He is a veteran who spent four years with the Lakers. In order to thank his former owner for his kindness, he gave the Lakers a big gift when he left. Although it is impossible to sign players directly in this special situation, it is possible to match some players, such as Schroeder, who can't be sent away, and reserve chips to trade other players. It has been rumored that the Lakers' pursuit of Buddy Hill has never been delayed. When the Lakers have this special deal, they will be more confident in negotiating with the King.
So it's a pity to let caruso go, but the advantages of the Lakers still outweigh the disadvantages. I wish caruso a stronger performance when he goes to the Bulls.