Dub Hub: Warriors reportedly made ‘strong offer’ for Alex Caruso at the NBA Trade Deadline

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Tuesday, June 18th.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• The Warriors reportedly made a “strong offer” for Alex Caruso prior to last year’s NBA Trade Deadline, according to Bulls beat writer Will Gottlieb.
• The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports Klay Thompson is “open to all external options” for his upcoming free agency.
• The Boston Celtics are the favorites to win next year’s title after winning their NBA record 18th championship in franchise history on Monday night.

The Golden State Warriors were far from contending for an NBA championship this past season, having been eliminated in the first round of this year’s Play-In Tournament. Having said that, a recent report indicates that the team attempted to shake up their roster with a big trade that would’ve helped closed the gap. According to an article from Chicago Bulls beat writer Will Gottlieb, Golden State made a “strong offer” for Chicago’s Alex Caruso ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.

This isn’t the first time reports have come out connecting Caruso to the Warriors. Back in February, NBC Sports Chicago detailed why the hypothetical trade between the two teams never came to fruition.

Via NBC Sports Chicago:

Before standing pat at the trade deadline for the third consecutive year, the Bulls were in exploratory trade talks centered on Alex Caruso with the Golden State Warriors, Bulls insider K.C. Johnson reported Thursday.

According to league sources, the Bulls inquired about Warriors starting forward Jonathan Kuminga’s availability. That was rebuffed, and the Bulls made clear in talks with all teams that they didn’t want to trade Caruso, especially for a package on perhaps other young pieces like Moses Moody, so they’d need to be floored by an offer to do so.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Warriors circle back to this trade now that the offseason is in full swing. He’s on a team-friendly deal with a little under $10 million remaining in the final year of his contract. Caruso was named to this season’s All-Defensive Second Team and would instantly upgrade the Warriors’ point of attack defense — one of the team’s biggest struggles over the past two seasons.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, June 18th:

Warriors News:

The Chicago Bulls have passed on great offers for Alex Caruso before. Will they do it again or look to extend him? | All CHGO

The Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple protected first-round picks ahead of the 2024 Trade Deadline. One of those deals included a pick that ended up in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said. The Golden State Warriors were among teams who made a strong offer for Caruso, multiple sources confirmed.

Ultimately, they declined.

Internally, the Bulls party line was that they would have to start searching for a Caruso replacement from the moment they traded him. That may have been fine in a rebuild, which lead executive Arturas Karnisovas admitted ownership supported.

However, the source indicated that there was a mandate from the Reinsdorfs to fight for the Playoffs. That, no doubt, impacted the front office’s decision making when it came to pulling the trigger on any Caruso deal.

Klay Thompson ‘open to all external options’ according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania

Klay Thompson to join Team Bahamas in Houston for Olympic training camp: Sources | The Athletic

As a decision on his NBA future looms, Klay Thompson will join the Bahamian national basketball team for its training camp in Houston this week, sources briefed on the situation told The Athletic. However, he is not expected to get clearance and compete for the Bahamas in the Olympic qualifier this summer, those sources said.

Thompson, who won a gold medal with Team USA in 2016, would need to receive an official release from USA Basketball and approval from FIBA in order to be cleared to play in the Olympic qualifiers and further competition for Team Bahamas, which isn’t expected to happen.

Barbosa hopes Klay prioritizes happiness in free-agent decision | NBC Sports Bay Area

Gone are the days when Thompson was among the NBA’s best two-way wings, an All-Defensive team selection whose exceptional shooting was the basis for five consecutive trips to the All-Star game. He still can go for 30 or 40 on a given night, but frequency and efficiency have dipped, as has his defensive versatility.

For those reasons, Thompson realizes he won’t see anything like his expiring contract, a five-year max worth $190 million. League sources indicate he’s seeking an offer of at least three years.

“If he goes to a different team – and I’m just giving this scenario – he’s going to have to start all over again,” Barbosa said. “If he stays, this is home for him. This is his house.

“So, I hope he thinks and he kind of understands the business, what’s the deal, and go from there.”

Warriors announcer Bob Fitzgerald set to call 2024 Olympic Basketball

NBA News:

Boston Celtics +280 favorites to repeat as NBA champions | ESPN

The Boston Celtics, fresh off winning the franchise’s 18th NBA championship, enter the offseason with some of the shortest sportsbook odds for a repeat title since the great Golden State teams of the late 2010s.

The Celtics are the clear-cut betting favorites to win the 2025 championship at sportsbooks around the nation. At ESPN BET, Boston is +280 for next year’s title, which would be the shortest preseason title odds since the 2017-18 Warriors (-180).

Boston forward Jaylen Brown named 2024 NBA Finals MVP

Hawks intend to keep No. 1 pick in 2024 NBA Draft | NBA

Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields says he likes his options for the potential top picks in the NBA draft — and he insists he’s not planning on trading the No. 1 pick, even though his phone lines remain open.

“I think we’re really excited by the draft,” Fields said Monday as he continued to prepare for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on June 26. “And the more that we uncover, like we go, great, I’m glad we have No. 1. I keep joking around like I’m not giving it back. So, I think we’re in a really good position here. I’m excited about it, frankly.”

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Warriors announce California Classic schedule

Las Vegas is the star of Summer League, but before that action begins, we get the first dose of Summer League hoops: the California Classic. On Monday, the Warriors announced the schedule for the California Classic games that will be played at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

The first games are on Saturday, July 6, when the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers play at 1:30 p.m. PT, followed by the Warriors and Miami Heat at 3:30 p.m. PT. On Sunday, July 7, it will be the Kings vs. the Heat at 1:30 p.m. PT and the Warriors vs. the Lakers at 3:30 p.m. PT. And finally, on Wednesday, July 10, the Heat and Lakers will play at 4:00 p.m. PT followed by the Warriors and Kings at 7:00 p.m. PT. You can purchase tickets for these games on the Warriors website.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.