rewrite this title Caruso, Thunder agree to 4-year, $81M extension

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso, a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, has signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension through the 2028-29 season, his agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman told ESPN on Sunday.

The Thunder announced the signing but did not specify terms of the deal.

The deal keeps Caruso, who is under contract for $9.9 million this season, out of free agency. He became eligible for an extension Saturday.

Caruso, 30, arrived to the Thunder in the offseason as a highly coveted supporting cast player and a long-term priority for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. After four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, including being part of the 2020 NBA championship team, Caruso joined the Chicago Bulls for three seasons and averaged a career-high 10.1 points per game in 2023-24.

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This season, Caruso has teamed with Lu Dort and Cason Wallace to give the Thunder multiple top-flight wing defenders around stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams on the best defensive team in the NBA.

Caruso is a versatile player and an elite defensive player, ranking second in the NBA this season in field goal percentage allowed as a contesting defender among players to contest at least 150 shots. He also ranks second in points per direct pick allowed as the ballhandling defender among players to defend 115 on-ball screens, according to Second Spectrum.

He is averaging a career-high 1.9 steals this season and, according to ESPN Research, ranks fifth in deflections per game among players to appear in 15 games or more. He has averaged 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists as well.

Caruso went unselected in the 2016 NBA draft, started his pro career as a member of the Thunder’s training camp and played for the franchise’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue, in 2016-17.

The Thunder lead the Western Conference with a 22-5 record.