NBA Rumors: Warriors 'Really Wanted' Alex Caruso in Deadline Trade with Bulls

The Golden State Warriors reportedly had interest in Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso prior to last week's NBA trade deadline.

Speaking on his The Lowe Post podcast (beginning at the 45:45 mark), ESPN's Zach Lowe said he knows "for sure" that the Warriors "really wanted" Caruso:

Lowe added that a Warriors trade for Caruso never came close to happening, resulting in Golden State settling for the return of guard Gary Payton II and the Bulls being one of the few teams to not make a move.

In a four-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, the Warriors parted with center James Wiseman and multiple second-round picks in order to bring back Payton, who was a key role player on last season's championship team.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Payton's abdominal injury was worse than expected, and the team announced he is expected to miss at least the next month.

That made the deadline something of a bust for the Dubs, whereas the acquisition of Caruso could have paid immediate dividends.

The 28-year-old Caruso is in the midst of his second season with the Bulls, and although his numbers are seemingly nothing to write home about, he impacts the game in myriad ways, particularly on the defensive end.

In 48 games this season, Caruso is averaging 5.5 points, 3.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 24.2 minutes per game.

Caruso spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the Bulls, and he became a hugely popular role player in L.A., helping the team win a championship in 2020.

Because of his skill set and tenacity, Caruso is precisely the type of player who can help a team in the midst of a playoff run, and the Warriors are undoubtedly in the thick of a battle currently.

At 29-29, the Warriors are ninth in the Western Conference, putting them only one game up on a postseason play-in spot.

The Warriors have been without superstar guard Stephen Curry for the past several games, and while they are expected to have him back for the stretch run, Caruso could have played a significant role until his return.

Chicago is 11th in the Eastern Conference at 26-31, putting it one game behind the final postseason play-in spot, but it has lost four games in a row and may come to regret not selling off assets.

Given that the Warriors gave up Wiseman and multiple second-round picks for Payton, Caruso likely would have landed the Bulls a solid trade package from Golden State, and it could have aided in the potential retooling of the roster that may be forthcoming during the offseason.