For the past several years, Alex Caruso has been a fan-favorite trade target for the Milwaukee Bucks, and that was no different this off-season.
Well, he's now off the board of options, with ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the Chicago Bulls have traded Caruso to the OKC Thunder for Josh Giddey. Now, if the Bucks still want to add a defensive-minded guard to bulk up their backcourt, they will have to turn elsewhere. Luckily, they will have options. Let's analyze five.
Ayo Dosunmu
With Caruso traded and the Bulls rumored to be heavily shopping Zach LaVine, it's not far-fetched to think they may be open for business with a good chunk of their roster. If so, the Bucks should make a call about Ayo Dosunmu, another Bulls guard who has been rising up on the fan-favorite trade target power rankings as of late.
The appeal with Dosumnu is easy to get behind. He's a 6-foot-5 guard who can play point guard, two guard or even small forward occasionally. He can also guard all three positions, utilizing his height and lengthy wingspan to hound them. That would be a welcoming addition to Milwaukee's backcourt as they hunt for more perimeter defenders.
Offensively, he's coming off a career year, having averaged 12.2 points while shooting an impressive 40.3 percent from deep. While his defense is his main draw for Milwaukee, it certainly would not hurt to have another capable scorer and perimeter shooter on the roster, especially if that player is also just 24 years old and can help the team's need for youth.
With a $7 million salary, the guard has a digestable contract trade-wise for the Bucks. The significant unknown is what the Bulls would want for the guard if they will even entertain trading him. Still, a call from a Milwaukee area code should be put in.