Lakers Should Not Target Bulls' Alex Caruso Despite Latest NBA Trade Rumors

Alex Caruso rose to recognition in 2020, when he came off the bench to help the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship and according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, his old team may be seeking to trade for the Chicago Bulls guard.

"The rumor around the Lakers was they regretted letting him go almost immediately after it happened," one exec told Deveney. "They knew that was a mistake. He's not the same player now, but the Lakers are worried they don't have enough of an edge. He could be someone who helps fix that."

Caruso is not the same player he was in 2020. Over his last 10 with the Bulls, he has averaged just 6.4 points, in 22.6 minutes, with 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and is shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc.

He may bring "edge" with him, a trait that is oftentimes untaught, but that is not what this Lakers team needs right now.

The Western Conference runners up had a huge offseason in which they acquired depth at key positions and re-signed key contributors, such as Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

The team has yet to be at full force this season, though, with injuries forcing others into action ahead of schedule. Cam Reddish and Christian Wood have played more than expected.

Wednesday night, an injury to Anthony Davis forced undrafted rookie Colin Castleton into action.

The team does not need to go out and deal for Caruso.

It needs a stretch of games with its key players healthy and on the court, where they can learn each others strengths and weaknesses, then develop a gameplan.

It also needs to find its three-pointer.

The Lakers are second-worst in the NBA in percentage beyond the arc, with an abysmal 29.8. Per ESPN Stats & Info, the team has yet to make more three-pointers than the opposition and have shot a worse percentage from that point on the floor.

Those shots will come. This Lakers team is too talented and, despite what we have seen to this point, too deep for them not to.

The injuries have been plentiful to start the season but as seen Wednesday, it is not out of the realm of possibility for someone like Hachimura to come back from injury and hang 24 on an opponent.

If there is a positive of guys like Wood, Reddish, and Castleton seeing meaningful playing time, it is that it gives them experience in the system and prepares them to contribute as needed as the season advances.

It may be easy to panic if you are a fan of the Lakers, with the team in an early hole and performing miserably away from Crypto.com Arena, but this is a team that has yet to even scratch the surface of what it is capable of and what it will look like this spring, when every win matters.

There is no denying that Caruso was a big part of what made the 2020 team a championship winner but now is not the time to make any moves. Look not into the past but toward the future and letting this team realize its potential.