Ramona Shelburne Says Lakers Didn't Want To Re-Sign Alex Caruso Even Though He Gave Them A Discount

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After spending the last four years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Alex Caruso is on his way to Chicago to join the exciting Bulls. They already landed Lonzo Ball, Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan to compete in an Eastern Conference with plenty of entertaining teams.

Alex was seen as a valuable piece for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the purple and gold didn't appreciate him as much as we thought. Sam Amick already reported that the Lakers didn't push too hard to keep Caruso's services, which prompted him to listen and accept the offer from the Bulls. 

"There was a sense of disappointment on Alex Caruso's side there wasn't a Lakers push to keep him, like come in at 80% of the Chicago number. It was essentially a 'good luck in Chicago' type of feel to it," Amick said on The Athletic's daily NBA podcast.

Moreover, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne added more details of this negotiation. On a recent edition of The Hoop Collective podcast, Shelburne discussed the Lakers' decision of moving on from Caruso, claiming that it was all a financial decision in the end (via Redditor "Common-Wedding-7264"). 

“Caruso was willing to go back for 3 years 30 million dollars. He gave them that option… the Lakers were willing to go 7 million a year.”

“Let’s be real about Alex Caruso. That was a tax issue."

After having two good seasons with the team, even being labeled as the X-factor of their championship, Alex leaves the franchise. The Lakers took a different turn this offseason after landing Russell Westbrook. 

They filled the rest of the roster spots with veteran minimum deals, leaving no option to Caruso. Fortunately, he's joining a team with huge expectations ahead of the next season. The Bulls can make some noise in the East next year, and having a player with championship experience as the internet GOAT will benefit them.