Alex Caruso

Alex Michael Caruso was born on February 28, 1994, in College Station, Texas. He attended A&M Consolidated High School, where he excelled in basketball, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior, earning TABC All-Regional, All-State, and district MVP honors. Following high school, Caruso played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies from 2012 to 2016. During his four-year collegiate career, he played 137 games, averaging 8.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.02 steals per game. He became the school’s all-time leader in assists with 649 and steals with 276. In his senior year (2016), he helped lead the Aggies to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and received SEC All-Defensive Team and second-team All-SEC honors. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports management.

Caruso began his professional career after going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2016 NBA Summer League and later signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in September 2016, though he was waived in October. He then joined the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League. In 2017, Caruso signed the Lakers’ first two-way contract after a strong performance in the NBA Summer League, leading them to a championship. He made his NBA debut on October 19, 2017, with the Los Angeles Lakers. During his tenure with the Lakers, he signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract in 2019 and contributed to the team’s NBA Championship win in 2020. He started the clinching game of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

In 2021, Caruso signed a four-year, $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. While with the Bulls, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2023 and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2024. He also won the NBA Hustle Award in the 2023–24 season. In June 2024, Caruso was traded back to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey, reuniting him with former coach Mark Daigneault. In December 2024, he agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Thunder. He earned his second NBA Championship in 2025 with the Thunder, where he was a key player off the bench during the NBA Finals, averaging 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.