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_(cropped).jpg) Caruso with theChicago Bulls in 2022 | |
| No. 9 – Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1994-02-28)February 28, 1994 (age 31) College Station, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 186 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | A&M Consolidated (College Station, Texas) |
| College | Texas A&M (2012–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2017 | Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2017–2021 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2017–2019 | →South Bay Lakers |
| 2021–2024 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2024–present | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Alex Michael Caruso[1] (born February 28, 1994)[2] is an American professionalbasketball player for theOklahoma City Thunder of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theTexas A&M Aggies, earning second-team all-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors as a senior in 2016. A two-timeNBA champion with theLos Angeles Lakers in2020 and the Thunder in2025, he also earned two consecutiveAll-Defensive Team selections as a member of theChicago Bulls in 2023 and 2024.
Caruso attendedA&M Consolidated High School in his nativeCollege Station, Texas, where he played basketball under head coaches Rusty Segler and Rick German. As a senior, he averaged 18 points and nine rebounds and was named TABC All-Regional, All-State as well as TABC All-Star and district MVP after leading his team to the postseason.[3]
After graduating from high school, Caruso joined theTexas A&M Aggies. In 137 games over his four-year career, he averaged 8.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.02 steals per game, finishing as the school's all-time leader in assists with 649 and steals with 276, surpassingDavid Edwards in those categories.[4] As a senior he led the Aggies to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament; he also earnedSEC All-Defensive Team and second-team All-SEC honors. He graduated with aBachelor of Arts degree insports management.[3][5]
After going undrafted in the2016 NBA draft, Caruso joined thePhiladelphia 76ers for the2016 NBA Summer League.[6] On September 23, 2016, he signed with theOklahoma City Thunder,[5] but was later waived on October 17.[7] On November 3, he was acquired by theOklahoma City Blue of theNBA Development League.[8]
Caruso joined the Lakers for the2017 NBA Summer League. After several productive games, including one in which Caruso started in place of the injuredLonzo Ball and led the Lakers to a victory, he was signed to the Lakers' firsttwo-way contract on July 13, 2017. He became the first player to go directly from the D-League (now G League) to the NBA via two-way contract.[9] He also helped lead the Lakers win the2017 NBA Summer League Championship in Las Vegas. Caruso made his NBA debut on October 19, 2017, against theLos Angeles Clippers.[10] He played 12 minutes and recorded two points, two assists, and one rebound in a 108–92 loss. He had a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds in a victory in the final game of the season against the Clippers.[10]
Caruso signed another two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after a successful showing in the2018 NBA Summer League. On March 6, 2019, he recorded a season-high 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists in a 99–115 loss to theDenver Nuggets. He scored a new career-high 32 points in a 122–117 victory over the Clippers on April 5.[11] He also became the only Laker that season other thanLeBron James to record a 30+ point, 10+ rebound, 5+ assist game.[12] On April 7, 2019, with the Lakers missing James for the remaining six games, Caruso scored 18 points with a career-high 11 assists in a 113–109 home win over the Utah Jazz.[13]
On July 6, 2019, Caruso signed a two-year contract with the Lakers worth $5.5 million.[14][15] He won his first NBA championship with them on October 11, 2020, when the Lakers defeated theMiami Heat in six games. Caruso started the clinching game of the NBA Finals. He became anunrestricted free agent after the2020–21 season.[16]
On August 10, 2021, Caruso signed a four-year, $37 million[17] contract with theChicago Bulls.[18] Caruso chose to wear number 6 with the Bulls as his usual number 4 had been retired by the team in honor ofJerry Sloan.
On January 21, 2022, during a 90–94 loss to theMilwaukee Bucks, Caruso was fouled by opposing guardGrayson Allen. Allen was ejected from the game. The next day, the Bulls announced that Caruso had a fractured right wrist and would undergo surgery, keeping him out for at least 6-to-8 weeks.[19]
At the end of the 2023 season, Caruso was named for the first time to theNBA All-Defensive First Team.[20]
On October 27, 2023, Caruso put up 13 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block alongside a game-winning three-pointer in a 104–103 overtime win over theToronto Raptors.[21] He won theNBA Hustle Award in2023–24.[22]
On June 21, 2024, Caruso was traded to theOklahoma City Thunder in exchange forJosh Giddey.[23] The move reunited Caruso withMark Daigneault, who coached him during his tenure with the Oklahoma City Blue. On December 22, Caruso and the Thunder agreed to a four–year, $81 million contract extension.[24] In his first season with the team, Caruso earned his second-career NBA championship after winning the2025 NBA Finals in seven games over theIndiana Pacers. He was a key player off the bench during the Finals, scoring 20 points in both Game 2 and Game 4 — both wins for the Thunder — before finishing the Finals averaging 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.[25]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | L.A. Lakers | 37 | 7 | 15.2 | .431 | .302 | .700 | 1.8 | 2.0 | .6 | .3 | 3.6 |
| 2018–19 | L.A. Lakers | 25 | 4 | 21.2 | .445 | .480 | .797 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.0 | .4 | 9.2 |
| 2019–20† | L.A. Lakers | 64 | 2 | 18.4 | .412 | .333 | .737 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .3 | 5.5 |
| 2020–21 | L.A. Lakers | 58 | 6 | 21.0 | .436 | .401 | .645 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 6.4 |
| 2021–22 | Chicago | 41 | 18 | 28.0 | .398 | .333 | .795 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1.7 | .4 | 7.4 |
| 2022–23 | Chicago | 67 | 36 | 23.5 | .455 | .364 | .808 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 1.5 | .7 | 5.6 |
| 2023–24 | Chicago | 71 | 57 | 28.7 | .468 | .408 | .760 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 10.1 |
| 2024–25† | Oklahoma City | 54 | 3 | 19.3 | .446 | .353 | .824 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.6 | .6 | 7.1 |
| Career | 417 | 133 | 22.3 | .440 | .376 | .758 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | .5 | 6.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020† | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 1 | 24.3 | .425 | .279 | .800 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .6 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | L.A. Lakers | 6 | 0 | 20.2 | .368 | .294 | 1.000 | 1.3 | .5 | .2 | .7 | 5.8 |
| 2022 | Chicago | 4 | 4 | 28.3 | .391 | .389 | – | 2.8 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 6.3 |
| 2025† | Oklahoma City | 23* | 0 | 24.4 | .450 | .411 | .795 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.0 | .6 | 9.2 |
| Career | 54 | 5 | 24.2 | .428 | .355 | .803 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.4 | .6 | 7.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Texas A&M | 33 | 17 | 24.7 | .373 | .265 | .600 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 1.8 | .5 | 5.5 |
| 2013–14 | Texas A&M | 34 | 33 | 29.8 | .460 | .333 | .685 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .8 | 9.0 |
| 2014–15 | Texas A&M | 33 | 33 | 31.5 | .463 | .366 | .685 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 2.1 | .2 | 9.1 |
| 2015–16 | Texas A&M | 37 | 37 | 28.8 | .502 | .368 | .785 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 2.1 | .2 | 8.1 |
| Career | 137 | 120 | 28.7 | .455 | .340 | .685 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 2.0 | .4 | 8.0 | |
Born in the United States, Caruso is of Italian descent.[26] He has two sisters. His father played four years atCreighton and was an associate athletic director at Texas A&M.[3]
Caruso grew up around the A&M program, spending many seasons as a ball boy for the Aggies.[3] While studying at Texas A&M he majored in sports management.[3]
On June 22, 2021, Caruso was arrested at Easterwood Airport inCollege Station, Texas, for residual marijuana left on a grinder.[27]
In 2022, Caruso began dating formerBig Brother contestant Haleigh Broucher. On August 20, 2024, the two announced their engagement.[28] They were married on August 9, 2025 in Houston, Texas.[29]
