Lakers Vice President Reveals That They Tried To Pursue Alex Caruso Before His Move To Chicago

One moment can change it all for a player. Likewise, former Lakers guard, Alex Caruso became a fan favorite after his put-back dunk over Kevin Durant. Since then, his popularity has only been on the rise, with no signs of slowing down.

However, he isn’t just a player with one great moment. Caruso was a crucial role player on the Lakers in his 4 seasons. While he may not have the numbers, his impact was surely felt throughout the city. He played with full energy every play and made all his time count.

His athleticism and defensive abilities got him a place in the Lakers’ rotations. While he isn’t a part of the purple and gold anymore, Pelinka reveals they did everything they could to get the ‘Bald Eagle’ back.

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The Lakers did everything to bring back Alex Caruso

While talking about Caruso, Rob Pelinka said that he was a great player for the franchise. He also says that he is grateful for what Caruso did with LA. Pelinka also revealed that they wanted Caruso back but he chose to go a different route.

This has hit the wrong note with the fans. Alex was part of a bust-off season for the Chicago Bulls. The 27-year-old signed a 4 year $37 million deal with the Bulls. But it isn’t that the Lakers were not interested in re-signing the Bald Eagle. It was their financial condition that was the reason they couldn’t meet his demands.

However, the main misunderstanding is how Pelinka said this but never countered the Bulls’ offer. The truth behind that is the Lakers just didn’t have the funds to counter Chicago’s offer. Hence, they didn’t attempt to make a counteroffer for Alex.

Even Caruso himself knew that many people wanted him to stay. However, he is now looking forward to the new challenge that will come with playing for Chicago.

Caruso said: “I know a lot of people were upset that I didn’t get to stick around and try and run it back for a couple of more years [with the Lakers]. It’s the business of basketball. You can’t always keep everybody you want or else there’d be a bunch of good teams with a whole bunch of good players and nobody else would win. I’m happy that I fell to Chicago, that the chips fell where they did. I’m excited for the team that we have and the future that this team has.”

The Lakers have now gained Russell Westbrook as a new guard in their lineup. But the absence of Caruso will surely hurt them.

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