Alex Caruso Began 'Smiling Ear to Ear' Talking to Mark Daigneault Ahead of Reunion

The Oklahoma City Thunder are reuniting Alex Caruso with Mark Daigneault and the defensive ace is really excited about it.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault reacts during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, Oklahoma City bolstered their roster with a win-now swap shipping Josh Giddey to the windy city in favor of defensive ace Alex Caruso. The former OKC Blue guard now becomes a key cog of the varsity squad after helping the Lakers win a championship and being tabbed to two straight all-defensive squads.

During his introductory press conference to the local media, Caruso was asked about Daigneault who served as the OKC Blue head coach during the 30-year-old's time in the G League.

Caruso began praising Daigneault for his consistency, revealing his demeanor on the sidelines playing against him in the NBA was the same as his G League days pacing the sidelines adding “he is a good leader. I think he knows what it takes to lead”

When discussing his new bench boss, the defensive ace revealed the two had already been in contact - when Daigneault called Caruso he gave very clear instructions.

“I was smiling ear to ear talking to him on the phone just because I was excited to play for him again,” Caruso said. “He told me, ‘Don’t be a smart [expletive].’ I told him, ‘I can’t wait for him to cuss me out at the first practice when I mess something up.’

This full-circle moment is special, the odds of one G League team developing a two-time all-defensive team member and an NBA Coach of the Year are slim. Not, they are reunited in Bricktown.

“A lot of growth from when we first started together,” Caruso said. “There’s a lot of positives and a lot of learning experiences we could take from those years.”

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