Could Alex Caruso Win the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2026?

Alex Caruso demonstrated his immense value during the Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals run in last season's playoffs. While not typically bringing an immense number of statistics, the defensive impact he makes is an obvious contributor to the Thunder earning wins. He might just be the defining role player in the league.

Could his impact start to lead to individual awards? ESPN's summer forecast predictions seem to think so.

Caurso received a total of 66 points for the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year award — the most of any player. The next highest-ranking player was Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid with 52 points, followed by Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (39), Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (18) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome (17).

A player who averaged 7.1 points per game in his last regular season campaign earning an award that typically goes to a high-volume scorer off the bench seems like an unlikely proposition. But if any player can swing the decision to favor someone with a defensive upside, it's certainly Caruso.

"It has been three decades since the Sixth Man of the Year averaged single digits in points, which has happened only three times in the history of the award," Tim MacMahon said. "Caruso's impact in his first season in Oklahoma City, particularly during the playoffs, is indisputable."

That being said, too many circumstances put Caurso at a disadvantage to win the award, aside from just the points category. At 31 years of age, the guard's playing time in the regular season is probably going to be lessened by coach Mark Daigneault. He finished last year with an average of 19.3 minutes per game — and it might decrease even further.

At this point, the regular season isn't a worry for Oklahoma City. It has the talent and depth to cruise through most of the stretch until the playoffs, especially after the All-Star break. Utilizing Caruso too heavily would be a mistake; he's a player that it will need at full capacity in a playoff setting. Injuries could also be a concern as he ages, so it's best to keep the prevention of that as a priority.

Caruso's end-of-year numbers are probably not going to look any better than they did last season. While things could always change, it doesn't seem like he is on the path to seriously compete for this award. In fact, he might be inserted into the starting lineup depending on the matchup.