4 Former Lakers Los Angeles Needs To Bring Back This Offseason

3. Alex Caruso

Another member of the Lakers 2020 championship team, Alex Caruso is another guard who has been thriving ever since leaving Los Angeles. Caruso, who the Lakers decided to not keep when his contract was up in the summer of 2021, has been one of the best defenders in the league since.

After the Lakers refused to pay him in 2021, Caruso signed a four-year, $37 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. Even though the Bulls have been an utter disappointment for the last couple of seasons, Caruso has consistently been one of their best players, significantly outplaying his contract.

Now, he is entering the final year of his contract and his making less than $10 million per year makes him a fascinating trade candidate for the Lakers.

Despite being 30 years old, Caruso just finished his healthiest and most productive season, playing a career-high 71 games for Chicago. He averaged a whopping 1.7 steals and 1 block per game, firmly establishing himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.

His skill set is exactly what the Lakers need: knock down three-point shots, set your teammates up, and guard the best offensive player on the other team. It will take at least a first-round pick to trade for him but the Lakers need to do whatever it takes to make it happen.