According to reputable ESPN journalist Shams Charania, defensive specialist Alex Caruso just reached an agreement to extend his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder last weekend.
More specifically, the 2024 NBA Hustle Award winner will stay with the team for another 4 years with a contract extension worth 81 million USD. The new contract will take effect from the 2025-26 season and does not have a final year clause (Player Option/Team Option).
Alex Caruso will receive a salary increase each season, details are as follows (according to Spotrac):
_ 2025-26: $18.1 million
_ 2026-27: $19.5 million
_ 2027-28: $20.9 million
_ 2028-29: $22.4 million
In total, the OKC Thunder defensive specialist will receive more than $81 million. This is double what Caruso received with a four-year contract signed with the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2021 ($36.9 million).
This year, 30 years old, Alex Caruso is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA.
He was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Oklahoma City Thunder, swapping places with young Australian talent Josh Giddey. And upon arriving at OKC, the “Bald Mamba” immediately integrated well into the collective play and defense-oriented style of coach Mark Daigneault.
Statistics from the NBA show that Alex Caruso is leading the league in interceptions (3.7 times/game), and 7th in the league in steals (1.9 steals/game).
Caruso’s presence has helped improve OKC’s defense, making them the team with the best defensive-rating in the NBA .
Currently, Thunder only allows opponents to score 103 points/100 ball possessions, far ahead of Houston Rockets in second place with 105.6 points/100 ball possessions.
It is also this quality defense that is helping Oklahoma City Thunder take sole possession of the No. 1 position in the Western Conference standings. They have won 22 of their 27 Regular Season matches since the beginning of the season, a total record only surpassed by the No. 1 team in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4).
With Alex Caruso and defensive specialists like Luguentz Dort on the perimeter and Chet Holmgren near the basket, the Oklahoma City Thunder will certainly be a name that any team will have to be wary of in the future.
