Dallas Mavs Top 5 in Chicago Bulls’ Alex Caruso Trade Odds; Good Fit with Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving?

If the Bulls make Alex Caruso available in trade talks, there are betting odds placing the Mavs as one of his likeliest landing spots.

The Chicago Bulls have gotten off to an underachieving start to the season for another year, making them a candidate for significant trade activity at some point. With a 4-8 record, they rank just 12th in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bulls have a variety of trade candidates to monitor ahead of the midseason trade deadline, with much of the attention being placed on stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Other rotation players include Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, and Andre Drummond, who could pique the trade interest of contending teams. 

According to Bovada, the Dallas Mavericks have the fifth-best trade odds (+650) to pull off a deal to acquire Caruso from the Bulls. The teams with greater odds include the Philadelphia 76ers (+250), Los Angeles Lakers (+300), Milwaukee Bucks (+450), and Golden State Warriors (+450).

Caruso, 29, has averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 10 games this season. He routinely is regarded as one of the NBA's elite on-ball defenders, making him an intriguing option for teams needing to add more talent on defense. He's on a team-friendly four-year, $36.98 million contract through 2024-25. 

It remains unclear if Caruso will be made available via trade this season. According to Marc Stein, "no firm indications yet in circulation" that Chicago will choose to entertain trade conversations involving him. Stein also reported on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast that the level of interest in Caruso on the trade market could reach a volume of teams in "double digits." 

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso / Rick Osentoski-USA Today Sports

The Mavs have tried to improve defensively by adding Dereck Lively II as the long-term rim protector alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. However, the team is still producing a 116.2 defensive rating (25th) through 12 games, leaving much to be desired about their unit on that end. 

Adding another proficient on-ball defender could help the Mavs handle challenging assignments as they continue to develop Lively's rim protection, ideally formulating a better unit as the season progresses. 

Caruso isn't the only option that could be a logical trade candidate for the Mavs to consider for the appropriate price. They were interested in Andre Drummond before he ultimately decided to return to the Bulls in free agency this summer. Stein reported that a deal was expected involving the Mavs and Drummond had he departed Chicago. 

As the Mavs continue to succeed amid a 9-3 start to the season, greater clarity will be established about potential improvement areas for the roster around Doncic and Irving as the team goes forward. When a team is a candidate to become a seller midseason, like the Bulls, it naturally emerges as something to monitor.