The calendar has flipped to August. Which means we're in the dog days of the NBA's year-round calendar. Little will happen over the next two months as teams across the league prepare for the 2026-27 season. Before we move on, though, let's reflect one last time on last year.The Oklahoma City Thunder had a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Juggling injuries all year, they overcame notable absences all year. Alas, they fell short of a second NBA championship with a 2026 Western Conference Finals exit.To reflect on their 2025-26 season, Thunder Wire will conduct player grades for all 20 players who suited up for them this past year. Eighth up is Alex Caruso, who made up for a pedestrian regular season with a stellar NBA playoffs:2025-26 statistics:6.2 points2.8 rebounds2.0 assists1.4 steals42.3% shooting29.3% 3-point shooting80.4% free-throw shootingAdvanced stats:True-shooting percentage:54.0%Usage rate:15.7%Win shares:2.5VORP:1.0Steal percentage: 3.4%Significant Percentile Finishes:Transition scorer: 78.7 percentileSpot-up scorer: 30.1 percentileCutter: 51.0 percentileContract:2026-27:$19.6 million2027-28: $21 million2028-29: $22.4 millionThoughts:Would you rather have Caruso playing his best in December or May? That's the essence of what his time in OKC has been about. The 32-year-old has voluntarily taken a backseat in the regular season. Opting to conserve his legs for when the lights are the brightest. He's no longer interested in individual accolades. It's all about rings for the two-time NBA champion. In his second year on the Thunder, he had another mundane regular campaign and then ran into the nearest phone booth to turn into Superman in the NBA playoffs.The Thunder bubble-wrapped Caruso for another regular season. His 18.4 minutes per game is the lowest since his last year on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also only played in 56 regular-season games. Anytime the 32-year-old felt something funny, OKC covered him in Band-Aids and told him to take the night off. The conservative approach paid off big time with one ring. So don't fix what's not broken. At this point in his career, the 32-year-old is fine sacrificing his stats for chances at deep playoff runs.When Caruso did play, though, he helped the Thunder clinch the first seed again. The traditional stats are decent, but the advanced metrics absolutely adore his contributions. That's what happens when you're one of the more disruptive defenders in the league. Anytime he was on the floor, he lifted the floor on that side of the ball. He measured out as one of the league's best perimeter defenders. Even in his reduced role.The offense, though, could use a little work. He shot a career-worst 29.3% from 3 in the regular season. At points, opposing teams funneled the ball his way. They dared him to shoot. Never want to see that from somebody whose shot diet mostly consists of catch-and-shoot looks. He must bounce back this upcoming year. Especially if OKC is going to rely on him a little more with all the roster changes. Can't have his outside jumper decline. Or risk him being detrimental on offense.All that said, Caruso redeemed himself in the NBA playoffs. He averaged 11 points in the postseason. He shot a sizzling 44.6% from 3 on 4.9 attempts. He dropped an eye-popping 31 points in a Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Once again, he proved why he's worth the regular-season maintenance. His playstyle requires high jolts of energy. Because of that, the Thunder have saved his legs for the spring. The Andre Iguodala plan has gone two-for-two so far.Even though the Thunder didn't win a second NBA championship, Caruso added to his postseason mythos. He's your classic playoff riser. Every generation of NBA hoops has a few role players who gain that reputation. Because of that, he's quickly become a fan favorite. He just completely changes the tone on both sides of the floor with a 100-MPH style of basketball.Moving Forward:Just keep doing what you're doing. The Thunder and Caruso are happy to extend their relationship for another year. Through two years, they've conjured up a plan that has worked. Take it easy in the regular season. Even if it means lowly outside shooting percentages. And then ramp things up in the NBA playoffs. That's why OKC traded for him to begin with. It needed a veteran who can elevate this group to the next level. Everything has gone picture perfect in that regard with one ring and maybe more.Of all their top contributors, Caruso is the oldest. It'll be interesting to see if the 32-year-old can maintain his high level of play for another year. Feels like we have one, maybe two, more years of his prime before his play starts to tail off. The Thunder are doing everything they can to ensure he remains a postseason machine by load-managing his mileage.I guess if there's something Caruso can improve on for the regular season, it's his outside jumper. Most of his attempts will happen on the outside. With the occasional drive or slash to the basket. But he needs to hit his looks at a higher clip. Can't have another year where you're below 30% from 3. The good news is, I'm not too worried about his jumper. It just feels like last year was just purely bad luck. The mechanics looked good. He simply hit iron on his attempts. Maybe he'll have better fortune this season. He's due, after all.The Thunder also went through roster changes for the first time this offseason. A glut of minutes and shot attempts are up for grabs. That said, I don't think that'll necessarily affect Caruso. Expect him to remain in the same spot in the pecking order. He'll leave the extra shot attempts to the younger members of the roster who are vying for more money and stats. His days chasing those things ended when he left the Chicago Bulls.Caruso has been one of OKC's best outside additions ever. These last two seasons have made the trade a grand slam. If he can have another year where he's an NBA playoff riser, he'll add to his mythos. We might be at the back nine of his legendary career, but he still has plenty of high-leverage basketball to go through. There's a reason why Sam Presti was all smiles when he welcomed him back.Final Grade: BThis article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 2025-26 Thunder player grades: Alex Caruso