While there are still 21 games left in the regular season that's not going to stop people from thinking about what could happen this offseason. With the Bulls being one of the top teams in the league currently, their name is bound to be mentioned. Regardless of how well the team is performing people always want to project what may be next.
In their current state, the Bulls are doing quite well. With the second-best record in the East and the second-best field goal percentage in the league, this team is looking good. Despite all the injuries this season the team hasn't wavered. The Bulls overall don't even know exactly what they have. The starters at the beginning of the season have only played 63 total minutes with one another. But that's not going to stop rumors from cropping up about who the Bulls should go after next. One name has apparently been going around among NBA executives.
“Chicago is the one place I can see AD saying, ‘OK, if you are going to trade me, send me home.’ He has always wanted to play for the Bulls. That is not a big secret. He wants to do something for his city. If you are Chicago, I do not see how you don’t make an offer, at least feel it out.”
According to this anonymous NBA executive, there is only one place where Lakers forward Anthony Davis would be willing to go if he leaves the Lakers. Davis is from Chicago and it wouldn't be surprising if he wanted to play for the Bulls in his career. If this were a couple of years ago Bulls fans everywhere would be drooling over this. But looking at things today it doesn't seem that appealing.
Would Davis be worth it?
In this hypothetical scenario where Davis makes his way to the Bulls, it's likely going to take quite a bit to get him. While he's had back-to-back injury-plagued seasons he's still a 28-year-old 8-time All-Star. Also to make the money work the Bulls would need to move quite a bit. The most likely scenario would be something like guard Coby White, forward Patrick Williams or DeMar DeRozan, and a 1st round draft pick. To me, that's quite a bit to give up for someone who will be coming off another injury-filled season. Davis played 36 games last season and has only played in 37 so far this year and could be out the remainder of the season.
With that being said, let's say he takes the time to get himself fully healthy the rest of this season and into the offseason. Would it be worth it then? That is truly hard to say. You have no idea what you are getting with Anthony Davis from an injury perspective. From his actual play you know what to expect, 23+ PPG, 9+ RPG, & 2+ BPG, which is something that any team would love to have. Giving up 2 young players and a draft pick is a lot. Especially for a 29-year-old player with 10 seasons under his belt and a long injury history.
If that's what it would take to bring in Davis I think the Bulls should pass. Don't get me wrong I would love to have Davis on the team if the price is right. With that being said the Bulls absolutely should reach out if Davis wants out of LA next season. At least make a call and see. Maybe they can get him for less. But knowing the market it's likely going to cost the Bulls far too much to bring Davis to Chicago.
Are these rumors legit?
The tough part is knowing if this is legit or not. In this scenario it came from an "anonymous NBA executive" and that can mean anything. That could just be something an NBA executive said in a meaningless conversation and someone took it and ran with it. You never know. It's not exactly a stretch to say that Davis would play for the Bulls considering he's from Chicago. So an NBA executive talking about this makes sense. Honestly with the discussions out there about LeBron possibly leaving the Lakers in the coming years make this even more legit. If LeBron leaves Davis would likely also want to head out the door, so why not Chicago?
https://twitter.com/MarkSchanowski/status/1495612404918587392?s=20&t=zhcWqrRU785AfawF59abBg
If anything it just shows the Bulls are back to being a desirable destination for players again. We likely won't get more information around this specific rumor until the regular season comes to a close. This is certainly something to keep an eye on but it will sit on the back burner as the Bulls continue to push for the #1 seed in the East.
What should we expect?
I wouldn't expect anything to come from this right now. There is still a lot of season left and the Bulls are in a great position right now. Who knows how far the Bulls may go in the playoffs this year. If they go on a deep run it wouldn't be surprising to see them bring back a very similar team and make a few minor tweaks. If they find themselves out in the first round then who knows what may happen.
At this stage expect nothing on this. Expect the focus to be on the 2021-22
Chicago Bulls and their success. The results from this season will dictate the offseason. The Anthony Davis of a few years ago would be a major piece for this Bulls team. The Anthony Davis of today is an uncertainty. Regardless the Bulls are going to continue focusing on this season and how they can bring a championship to Chicago.
