Alex Caruso on Thunder motivations to win championship: 'If you win, everybody gets paid'
The Oklahoma City Thunder are experiencing that for the first time. After they won the Larry O'Brien trophy to cap off one of the greatest seasons ever, they've had the chance to party it up in the offseason. They'll enter next season as a favorite to repeat.
As the lone player on the Thunder roster to have a championship before June, Alex Caruso talked about the behind-the-scenes of their voyage to the mountaintop. The 31-year-old appeared on the "Dan Patrick Show" to discuss his first season in OKC and how he played a vital role in its playoff run.
Besides achieving basketball nirvana, Caruso said the Thunder were also motivated by the second contract they're within grasp of. At the end of the day, the NBA is a business. You're trying to get as much money as you can out of the machine before your career is cut short. The two-time NBA champion understands the amount of cache a title buys you for that.
"I think there are enough examples throughout the history of basketball and the league, if you win, everybody gets paid," Caruso said. "Even the team in 2020 that won the 'ship for us in the Lakers. A couple of guys didn't get brought back, but they got paid other ways."
Caruso listed off several Lakers role players who looked like they were about to exit the league for good before their 2020 Bubble Run bought them some extra runway. He mentioned Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green and JaVale McGee all received reputation boosts as veterans with championship experience. Those are the intangibles teams always look to add to their locker rooms.
The Thunder are a little different than that veteran Lakers squad. They were the second-youngest champion in NBA history. So instead of a bunch of older players clinging onto their careers, their roster was filled with guys on their rookie-scale deals who are due up for an extension.
Even though the context is a shade different, the principle remains the same. The Thunder have ponied up this offseason after a championship run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all received contract extensions this offseason. But so did Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell.
"Everybody on a championship team gets an opportunity and gets paid. I think convincing the team that's how it was going to be," Caruso said. "It was unique too, with such young guys that all have big aspirations and goals and ambitions in the league. Really impressive, honestly."
If you play winning basketball, that will always help a player get paid. That wasn't the primary motivation to win a championship. That's an accomplishment in itself. But it's still a nice bonus to accomplish something every fanbase hopes to see at least once in their lifetime.
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Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA offseason grades for every West team: Did Rockets, Lakers earn high marks? Plus, which squad scored an 'F'?
It may be the middle of summer, but it is time for an NBA offseason report card, as free agency news has petered from a steady flow to a slow trickle. When 40-year-old Chris Paul's reunion with the Los Angeles Clippers is the biggest story to hit the league, it is high time we start handing out grades for every team. There was plenty of movement in the Western Conference, where Kevin Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a supermax contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder and No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg joined a Dallas Mavericks team that wants to win now. The Denver Nuggets retooled. The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers added veteran depth. The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to reach a third consecutive Western Conference finals. The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers, among other teams, are trying to disrupt the playoff status quo in the West. A lot is happening. Let us get to it. Without further ado, your 2025 NBA offseason report card ... Dallas Mavericks 2024-25 record: 39-43 2025-26 wins O/U: 39.5 Key additions: Cooper Flagg • D'Angelo Russell Key subtractions: Spencer Dinwiddie Oddsmakers figure the Mavs will win as many games this season, when No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg is in the fold, as they did last season, when they featured Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving for half the year. They traded Dončić for Anthony Davis, and Irving tore an ACL, which could cost him this coming season, too. That series of events sent them spiraling into the lottery, where they lucked into Flagg. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Scoring Flagg is a home run, but how much credit do we want to give them for a few ping-pong balls bouncing their way? More than we ding them for only adding D'Angelo Russell as an Irving replacement, I guess. But it really feels like any executive could have pulled off what Dallas did this summer, making an obvious choice at No. 1 and signing a high-usage, low-efficiency one-time All-Star to run the offense. Grade: B Denver Nuggets 2024-25 record: 50-32 2025-26 wins O/U: 53.5 Key additions: Cam Johnson • Tim Hardaway Jr. • Bruce Brown • Jonas Valančiūnas Key subtractions: Michael Porter Jr. • Dario Šarić • Russell Westbrook • DeAndre Jordan The Nuggets had little to work with and completely retooled their rotation around Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, which seems like a good bit of business under the salary cap's second apron. Denver turned Michael Porter Jr.'s $38.3 million salary into $21 million of Cam Johnson, acquiring a more dependable and versatile player. They then manufactured three rotational players — Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas — from nothing more than minimum contracts and Dario Šarić's expiring salary, padding a bench that previously could not sustain winning without Jokić on the floor. Grade: A Golden State Warriors 2024-25 record: 48-34 2025-26 wins O/U: 46.5 Key additions: Alex Toohey • Will Richard Key subtractions: Kevon Looney The Warriors have done little beyond adding a couple of late second-round draft picks and losing a fan favorite, Kevon Looney, to free agency. If, as has been rumored, Golden State can sign both Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton to free-agent deals, it will make this a successful summer. Horford, in particular, would join Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green as veterans who know how to win games. In the meantime, the Warriors are locked in stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, a young and talented wing who has flashed potential when he has not been in head coach Steve Kerr's doghouse. They do not seem too keen on paying him; nor do they want to lose him for nothing. It is a real conundrum that telegraphs to the rest of the league: We don't really want him, so why should you? Grade: C Houston Rockets 2024-25 record: 52-30 2025-26 wins O/U: 55.5 Key additions: Kevin Durant • Dorian Finney-Smith • Clint Capela Key subtractions: Jalen Green • Dillon Brooks • Jock Landale The Rockets traded Jalen Green, a wildly inconsistent 23-year-old, for Kevin Durant, one of the most consistent scorers in league history. It is a heck of an upgrade for this coming season — and maybe this coming season alone, as we have no idea how long Durant can sustain his greatness at 37 years old. Still, Durant transforms them from a second-seeded pretender into a bona fide contender, giving them the reliable crunch-time scorer they so desperately needed. Meanwhile, Houston extended its rotation both on the wing and at center, where they respectively added Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela. Grade: A Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 record: 50-32 2025-26 wins O/U: 48.5 Key additions: Brook Lopez • John Collins • Bradley Beal • Chris Paul • Yanic Konan Niederhauser Key subtractions: Norman Powell • Drew Eubanks • Patty Mills The Clippers reshuffled their veterans, drawing Brook Lopez, John Collins and Bradley Beal from a deck that once included Norman Powell, Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills. Beal can capably fill Powell's shoes as a scoring guard, while Lopez and Collins further strengthen a frontcourt centered around Ivica Zubac. They just added Chris Paul, too, which gives them a handful of guys who were better last decade (i.e., Kawhi Leonard and James Harden). They make sense together, or at least head coach Tyronn Lue will ensure they do. They were already a contender to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder's supremacy in the West, and now they are a little deeper and a little more well-rounded, if not a little older. Grade: B Los Angeles Lakers 2024-25 record: 50-32 2025-26 wins O/U: 47.5 Key additions: Deandre Ayton • Marcus Smart • Jake LaRavia Key subtractions: Dorian Finney-Smith • Jordan Goodwin • Shake Milton The Lakers lost Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the best 3-and-D wings on the market, to the Rockets — not great for a team that requires defense-first role players around Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. They instead signed Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, a nice haul for around the same amount of money that Finney-Smith received. Ayton, of course, is a 26-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, Smart is a one-time Defensive Player of the Year, and LaRavia shot 42.3% from 3-point range last year. None of their previous teams wanted to keep them, which should raise some red flags for Lakers fans. Meanwhile, the Lakers' offseason did not seem to impress James, who issued a contentious statement upon opting into the final year of his contract with the team. That led to rumors about his availability in either a trade or buyout, none of which seems imminent, and all of which seems like a major distraction. Grade: C Memphis Grizzlies 2024-25 record: 48-34 2025-26 wins O/U: 40.5 Key additions: Ty Jerome • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope • Cedric Coward • Jock Landale Key subtractions: Desmond Bane • Luke Kennard • Jay Huff • Marvin Bagley III The Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane, their third-best player, for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the rights to four first-round draft picks, which is a lot more than anyone thought they could get for a non-All-Star. It is a forward-thinking move that gives Memphis more flexibility to build around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. (who, along with Memphis teammate Santi Aldama, received a healthy raise this summer). Meanwhile, the Grizzlies added Ty Jerome, a Sixth Man of the Year candidate last season, to reestablish its depth at the point guard position behind Ja Morant. A lot of teams did a lot worse in free agency. Same goes for the draft, where Memphis traded up to select Cedric Coward with the No. 11 overall pick. Grade: B Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-25 record: 49-33 2025-26 wins O/U: 50.5 Key additions: Joan Beringer Key subtractions: Nickeil Alexander-Walker • Luka Garza • Josh Minott The Timberwolves did well to re-sign both Julius Randle and Naz Reid, something not everyone expected from a team that was staring the salary cap's second apron in the face. That crunch did cost them Nickeil Alexander-Walker, another key contributor to their most recent run to the Western Conference finals. Minnesota will instead depend on the internal development of its recent first-round picks, including this year's selection, Joan Beringer, to carry them forward into more serious title contention. That is not such a bad strategy when 23-year-old phenom Anthony Edwards is at the forefront of that rising development. Grade: C New Orleans Pelicans 2024-25 record: 21-61 2025-26 wins O/U: 30.5 Key additions: Jordan Poole • Saddiq Bey • Jeremiah Fears • Derik Queen • Kevon Looney Key subtractions: CJ McCollum • Kelly Olynyk • Brandon Boston Jr. • Elfrid Payton It is unclear what the Pelicans' strategy was for this summer, other than the fact that they really liked Derik Queen, for whose draft rights they traded their unprotected first-round pick in 2026. It was a wild gamble that essentially demands New Orleans makes the playoffs this season ... or loses a lottery pick. So what did the Pelicans do? In the absence of injured point guard Dejounte Murray, they traded CJ McCollum for Jordan Poole, giving the keys to their offense to one of the most inefficient high-usage players in the league, who also happens to have one more year than McCollum on the end of his deal. None of it makes any sense, whether or not Zion Williamson can remain healthy for an entire season. Grade: F Oklahoma City Thunder 2024-25 record: 68-14 2025-26 wins O/U: 62.5 Key additions: Thomas Sorber Key subtractions: Dillon Jones The Thunder, who won 68 games and the NBA championship this past season, needed to do very little in order to remain the favorite to repeat, and that they did, only adding a first-round pick, Thomas Sorber. They did, however, secure their existing core, giving max extensions to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. That will carry some financial issues in the years to come, though it is not something they need to worry about this season, when they remain the league's best team on paper. Grade: A Phoenix Suns 2024-25 record: 36-46 2025-26 wins O/U: 30.5 Key additions: Jalen Green • Dillon Brooks • Khaman Maluach • Mark Williams Key subtractions: Kevin Durant • Bradley Beal • Tyus Jones • Mason Plumlee Poor Devin Booker. From a team that reached the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns instead pivoted to constructing a superteam pretender, acquiring Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, both of whom left the team this summer. They traded Durant for half of what they spent to get him and paid Beal to leave. It is a sad state of affairs that is entirely of their own making. They are devoid of most future draft picks and are scheduled to pay both Booker and Beal (who, remember, is no longer on the team) a combined $88.6 million in 2029-30. All that said, they did score Jalen Green and Khaman Maluach — two high-upside young talents — in exchange for Durant, and cutting Beal gave them some flexibility under the second apron. There were certainly a lot worse alternatives to what they accomplished this summer. Grade: C Portland Trail Blazers 2024-25 record: 36-46 2025-26 wins O/U: 33.5 Key additions: Jrue Holiday • Damian Lillard • Yang Hansen Key subtractions: Deandre Ayton • Anfernee Simons The willingness to trade 26-year-old Anfernee Simons for 35-year-old Jrue Holiday, who has two additional years and a lot more money left on his contract, is a strange instinct. The Blazers must feel like they are closer to competing for a Western Conference playoff spot than most people think, or else they would not have pursued so much veteran guidance. That includes the feel-good reacquisition of Damian Lillard, whose Achilles injury will keep him from contributing at all this season. There is hope in the form of Yang Hansen if you want to get in early on the Yang train. The Blazers are certainly riding it, taking him 16th overall in last month's draft, far higher than anyone prognosticated. Grade: C Sacramento Kings 2024-25 record: 40-42 2025-26 wins O/U: 35.5 Key additions: Dennis Schröder • Nique Clifford • Dario Šarić Key subtractions: Jonas Valančiūnas • Jake LaRavia The Kings sure made signing Dennis Schröder a priority this summer. Who knows what that will do but make their quest to compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference slightly more disappointing. Trading Jonas Valančiūnas for Dario Šarić is an odd decision, too, but for wanting to help the Nuggets. Let us hope in Sacramento for Nique Clifford, the 24th pick, who will be introduced to a team led by Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis, one of the oddest collections of talent in the league. Two of them formed the nucleus of a mediocre Chicago Bulls team, and the other has been the anchor of a mediocre team in Sacramento for some time. Together they remain, as the kids say, as mid as it gets. Grade: D San Antonio Spurs 2024-25 record: 34-48 2025-26 wins O/U: 43.5 Key additions: Dylan Harper • Luke Kornet • Carter Bryant • Kelly Olynyk Key subtractions: Sandro Mamukelashvili • Chris Paul The Spurs leaned into the Victor Wembanyama era, bolstering the frontcourt around him and developing young talent behind him. Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk, who will make a combined $24.5 million next year, can play either with or in place of Wembanyama, or even together. They are at no shortage for size. There is no lack of youth, either. Add Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, a pair of lottery picks, to a core that also includes Stephon Castle in addition to the 21-year-old Wembanyama. How quickly San Antonio transforms into a contender depends on how soon everyone develops alongside its 7-foot-5 Frenchman. Grade: B Utah Jazz 2024-25 record: 17-65 2025-26 wins O/U: 18.5 Key additions: Ace Bailey • Walter Clayton Jr. • Jusuf Nurkić • Kevin Love • Kyle Anderson Key subtractions: John Collins • Collin Sexton • Jordan Clarkson • Johnny Juzang It is hard not to like what the Jazz did in the draft, landing Ace Bailey — arguably the second- or third-most talented player in the process — with the No. 5 overall pick and adding Walter Clayton Jr., an NCAA tournament darling. They will join — and perhaps even lead — a growing group of recent first-round draft picks, none of whom has developed into a star. Maybe one or both of Bailey and Clayton become one. Meanwhile, Utah was intent on ensuring it will add another high draft pick next summer. They parted ways with veterans John Collins, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson and got little in return, other than the expiring contracts of veterans Jusuf Nurkić, Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson. This is a lottery team in a rebuild, and it acted accordingly, prioritizing the possibility of youth and the failures that come with it. Grade: B
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
Paul George retracts previous statement on Ace Bailey: 'He wants to do it his way'
"[Ace Bailey] wants to do it his way … I hate being that person to be like, 'Oh you should've done this.' Everybody has their own path.''PG opens up on how Ace handled his pre-draft process. After previously criticizing Ace Bailey for his handling of team workouts before the 2025 NBA draft, Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George offered a retraction of those comments. Bailey orchestrated a rumor-filled predraft process that left some doubt about where he would end up after canceling a workout with the 76ers and turning down other invitations, including one from the Utah Jazz. He was the only U.S.-based prospect who didn't attend any workouts. The 18-year-old was the consensus choice to be the third or fourth pick before eventually falling to the Jazz at No. 5. George initially questioned his decision to cancel workouts, but the nine-time All-Star, speaking on "Podcast P" this week, now has a different take on the situation. I want to kind of retract what I said. How can we get on a kid that kind of knows what he wants? We're not in his shoes. He wants to do it his way. He is good enough. He has got the talent. He is going to go where he wants to go. That is his decision. It could have backfired, but it didn't. He is still in a great situation. He still gets to showcase what he could do. He had a great game, too. He went crazy. He showed his potential, a flash of it. Bailey denied ever considering not reporting to the team and stated he is eager to get to work with the team. He immediately hit the practice facility for a workout upon arriving in Salt Lake City and has impressed the team in the early going. The former Rutgers standout debuted with the Jazz in the Salt Lake City Summer League, averaging 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists in two games. He was limited to those two appearances because of a hip injury and didn't suit up for the team in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bailey, who has drawn comparisons to George, is highly touted for his size, overall skill set and ability to impact games on both ends of the court. He projects to have a bright future and appears content with putting the predraft process behind him and contributing to the organization.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Hornets' Collin Sexton trade comes after Chris Paul revelation
The post NBA rumors: Hornets' Collin Sexton trade comes after Chris Paul revelation appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Charlotte Hornets continued their offseason activity by orchestrating another trade, this time acquiring combo guard Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz. While the trade came as a surprise, further reports suggest that the move occurred after the team realized they would be out of the running for veteran free agent Chris Paul. The Hornets were one of several teams interested in Paul, but believe the 40-year-old wants to sign with a West Coast team in free agency, according to Mark Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Charlotte remains interested in adding a quality backup point guard, but acquired Sexton to further its backcourt depth. 'The Stein Line has likewise learned that the Charlotte Hornets also planned to make a run at Paul — who grew up in North Carolina — but have all but conceded internally that the former Wake Forest star will almost certainly decide to stay on the West Coast if he returns for a 21st NBA season,' Stein and Fischer reported. 'Charlotte is known to be pursuing veteran ball handlers to back up All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and is perceived to be one of the potential landing spots for Cleveland's Ty Jerome.' Paul averaged a career-low 8.8 points, but a stellar 7.4 assists in just 28 minutes per game in 2024-2025. Perhaps most impressively, he started all 82 games for just the second time in his 20-year-long career. Sexton, 26, provides much more scoring but less facilitating than Paul. The former lottery pick put up 18.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2024-2025. Collin Sexton trade adds to Hornets' loaded backcourt Coming off another disappointing, injury-riddled season, the Hornets are reportedly entering free agency with a focus on adding guard depth. However, they continue to address that issue before the official window opens. Sexton is the fourth guard Charlotte has added early in the offseason. The team's previous deal, which sent Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns, brought Vasilije Micic back to the organization. The Hornets also notably added Kon Knueppel and Sion James in the 2025 NBA Draft. The slew of incoming guards turned heads, considering the team's two best players — LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller — already run the backcourt. By trading Williams and Jusuf Nurkic, Charlotte is also noticeably thin up front. The Hornets have yet to add a true backup point guard, but their free agency might now be more focused on replacing their lost big men. Related: Hornets acquire Collin Sexton from Jazz for Jusuf Nurkic Related: Hornets rumors: Charlotte targeting move LaMelo Ball will love
