The Thunder will have some new faces in their rotation next season after a big summer. Oklahoma City added two of the NBA’s best role players in Alex Caruso And Isaiah Hartenstein and will start next season as the Western Conference favorite.
Hartenstein’s trade had been in the air for months, and it was easy to see why Oklahoma City brought him in. The Thunder were linked to several big men after struggling with rebounds all season. It was predictable that the Thunder would look to add depth to the frontcourt, and Hartenstein made sense. The short-term deal with a high price tag was what both sides were looking for.
The Caruso trade, on the other hand, came out of nowhere. Josh Giddey Caruso’s struggles were magnified in the playoffs after a mediocre regular season, and it was common knowledge that the Thunder were going to have to make a tough decision about his future. No one could have predicted a Caruso trade, though, and that’s exactly what happened.
The first thought when Oklahoma City traded for Caruso was, “What does this mean for me?” Lu Dort? Two elite perimeter defenders might be a bit redundant, especially when both players are highly paid. But after a summer of thinking about the trade and projecting potential lineups, it really doesn’t mean anything to Dort other than more elite help on defense. The two lockdown defenders can coexist perfectly, and that could be a deadly conversation for the Thunder to throw against opponents.
While both players are elite defenders, they play a very different style. This will be especially important on offense. Caruso is much more of a connector and can move around OKC’s offense. Dort tends to be more stationary and find the corners when the team’s guards are isolated.
The defensive rotations with Caruso and Dort will be the cherry on top. Each player is used to facing much bigger matchups than them and the two players can switch it up. It will be hard for opponents to find a weak spot in the Thunder’s defense when Dort and Caruso are on the court together.
The key to making this duo work perfectly is replicating the three-point success they had last season. Caruso shot 40.8 percent from three in Chicago last year, and Dort shot a career-high 39.4 percent from outside. If the duo can play together on defense at a high level and stretch the floor, it will be an absolute luxury for the Thunder. Adding Caruso won’t diminish Dort’s role at all — in fact, it will make his life easier.
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