The Warriors beat the Bulls last night in the first half of their back-to-back this weekend. After the game, Steve Kerr was caught on camera speaking to Bulls guard Alex Caruso, with a few sources pointing out that he may have said he’d “love to have” Caruso before the two departed the court.

With the discussion about possible impact trades consistently abound, it’s possible the Warriors could see Caruso as a trade target. His salary is about $9 million this year, and there’s been plenty of rumors about the Bulls looking to blow things up, which could mean a trade for James Wiseman is in the works. Some have offered Donte Divincenzo as a possible swap option as well, citing that Caruso doesn’t fill a positional need and would be best served as his replacement.

The issue with that mentality is that while it’s true to a degree, keeping Divincenzo as a part of the backcourt would ultimately end up a more successful option. The biggest need for the Warriors at the moment, at least in terms of what’s holding them back from their former elite status, is a point-of-attack defender who can navigate screens and shoot the three.

Alex Caruso does all of that, does it impressively well, and can also set some really good screens on the outside. He’d fit like a glove into the Warriors system. While injuries have been of concern, that’s precisely why the team should look to keep Divincenzo as well: A solid insurance option, and a more offense-oriented backup guard who can still defend serviceably.

The theory that Kerr mentioned he’d love to have Caruso on the team could, however, be related to a potential Team USA addition. Kerr is also the national team’s coach, and Caruso seems like the kind of player who would find success in a system that would work for FIBA’s style of play and ruleset.

Of course, there’s still the wonder if Caruso would be a good option when there are so many talented alternatives who don’t take up a guard slot. FIBA’s a center-oriented game, with less spacing than the NBA and a few rules that would make the position more valuable than loading up on backcourt depth, which lends more credence that Kerr is indeed talking about Caruso joining the Warriors.

The Golden State front office has remained quiet and seems committed to Wiseman for now, but if straits become dire as the season goes on and Chicago looks more and more volatile, being able to offer up a future to build around in the form of him, maybe one other guy, and some picks would be relatively enticing. With Jonathan Kuminga’s return to the rotation, it’s safe to say he’s off-limits which would impact the Warriors’ ability to get the deal done, but someone like Ryan Rollins may be enough to convince the Bulls to offload a contract that won’t yield them potential All-NBA talent down the line.

(Photo credit: Matt Slocum / Associated Press)