Speaking after a matchup against the Lakers this week, veteran guard Alex Caruso reflected on his past and about all the opportunities he missed by leaving the Lakers in 2021. According to Caruso, he left a lot on the table from his time in Los Angeles.

“Yeah, definitely. I have always thought about it because those guys [LeBron James and Anthony Davis] are my brothers,” said Caruso when he thinks about ‘what could’ve been’ with the Lakers. “We’ve been through a lot together. Always good seeing them. Every now and then you think about [it.]”

Alex spent four seasons with the Lakers, including as their backup guard during their championship run in 2020. With insane athleticism and good defensive instincts, Caruso has emerged as one of the best two-way guards in the league and he’s one of the Bulls’ most valuable trade assets right now. For the Lakers, Caruso is exactly the type of player they desperately need right now and there is some optimism that they could bring him back.

The Lakers are far from the championship squad they were years ago and much of the players they had back then are either somewhere else or out of the league entirely. Alex Caruso was one guy that the fans thought would be around forever, but he joined the Bulls a few years ago after it was apparent that the Lakers had no interest in paying him the kind of money he was after.

Currently, Caruso is one of the few former Lakers who is thriving in his new situation and he’s actually gotten better since leaving Los Angeles. In 39 games this season, Alex is averaging a career-high 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 49% shooting. Due to his play, and a potential rebuild on the Bulls, there have been talks of Caruso finally coming back home and he’d be the perfect fit on their current roster. With just a few weeks to go before the deadline, expect his name to emerge in multiple rumors down the stretch but it remains to be seen where he’ll end up by the postseason.

Letting Alex Caruso go is just one of many missteps made by the Lakers front office. A few years ago, back when they won the title, they should have done whatever possible to keep their team intact. Instead, they let crucial role-players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dwight Howard walk off for nothing in return. Arguably their biggest mistake of all was trading for Russell Westbrook, which doomer their season and sent them on a tailspin that ravaged the locker room.

Looking at more recent events, the Lakers’ decision to refuse big-name stars and double down on their role-players is proving to be a costly one with Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving both playing well for their respective teams. Now, the best that the Lakers can hope for is a player like Alex Caruso, who can shore up their depth and add some versatility to their backcourt. Had he never left to begin with, things might be very different for the Lakers today and LeBron might be in a better position to make something of his 21st season.