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Bulls catch strays after Alex Caruso’s historic +40 in Game 7

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Richard Pereira | Last updated May 18, 2025 11:40 PM ET

Alex Caruso had a historic performance to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the West Semis of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Sunday. This prompted NBA fans to criticize the Chicago Bulls for their handling of the guard.

In 26 minutes of action, Caruso finished with a stat line of 11 points, three assists and three steals. He shot 5-of-7 from the field, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc. He also finished with a plus-minus rating of +40, meaning the Thunder outscored the Nuggets by 40 points when he was on the court.

This resulted in him making NBA playoff history by becoming the second player to have a +40 rating or better off the bench since the 1997-98 season. His co-star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not mince words on his teammate’s historic feat.

“He’s a player that rises to the occasion,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“He’s a player that rises to the occasion.”@shaiglalex on @ACFresh21 after he became the 2nd player in playoff history to record a +/- of +40 or higher while coming off of the bench since 1997-98! pic.twitter.com/1gFzGWyBbX

— NBA (@NBA) May 18, 2025

This resulted in NBA fans calling out the Bulls for not getting enough assets when they traded Caruso to the Thunder in the 2024 offseason. The original deal had the guard go to Oklahoma City in exchange for Josh Giddey and a trade exception. This had Sporting News’ senior writer Steph Noh point out the multiple draft picks Chicago could have acquired to maximize Caruso’s trade value.

“Bulls couldn’t extract even one pick swap back for this guy when the Thunder had all of this to offer

,” Noh remarked.

How Alex Caruso represented Bulls throughout stint

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) goes up for a basket as Chicago Bulls guard Jevon Carter (5) defends during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It’s certainly brutal for the Bulls that they did not take advantage of Alex Caruso’s trade value, especially with the abundance of draft picks the Thunder possessed.

Nonetheless, they did get a solid player in Josh Giddey, who proved to be effective as he led them to a play-in finish. While that shouldn’t be the true ceiling for the Bulls, it is clear that they need to keep building through the NBA Draft and making solid trades for beneficial long-term assets.

Caruso represented the Bulls for three seasons, helping them reach the NBA Playoffs in 2022, their first appearance since 2017. He proved himself to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, constantly applying pressure on the best stars game in and game out.

Caruso suited up for the Bulls throughout 179 total appearances. Throughout that stint, he averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 44.8% from the field, including 38.2% from beyond the arc, and 78.5% from the free-throw line.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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