Alex Caruso can be Thunder's version of Derrick White

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Alex Caruso on Thursday, sending Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls as part of the deal. 

Caruso is one of the best two-way guards in the NBA. He's also seen as a top-five defensive guard in the league. He will likely slot into the Thunder's starting lineup next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Caruso is a "glue guy" type of player. He can scale his offensive production based on team needs. If others around him are having an off night shooting the ball, he can step up to fill the void. If his teammates are hitting their shots, he can make an impact as a cutter, screener or floor spacer. 

Given Caruso's diverse skillset and winning mentality, his addition to the Thunder is being likened to Boston's trade for Derrick White in 2022. 

"The Thunder's Western Conference rivals are naturally wondering (and worrying) already whether Presti just landed his answer to Boston's Derrick White," NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Saturday. "The Thunder remain on the small side as a group and got smaller in this trade, but you know A) they want to continue to be a 5-out team like Boston with Chet Holmgren and B) they will add size when the time is right with the nearly 40 future first- and second-round picks at their disposal to make more moves."

White and Caruso are similar types of players. They both have a team-first mentality. They can both get hot on offense, but both of them thrive on the defensive side of the floor and are capable of guarding multiple positions. White has had an enormous impact on the Celtics since arriving from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder are a more complete team with Caruso in their rotation. He will help shore up the perimeter and give Mark Daigneault more versatility when comprising a switch-heavy defensive system and running five-out lineups on offense. Caruso is also a reliable secondary playmaker, which will undoubtedly add even more off-ball movement to the Thunder's rotation.

If Caruso can have a similar impact to White, the Thunder will be among the favorites to come out of the Western Conference next season. 

It's only the first week of the NBA offseason, and Sam Presti already appears to have secured the heist of the summer.