Proposed Blockbuster Remakes Bulls Around Anthony Davis

Getty LA Lakers star Anthony Davis looks on prior to a bout with the New Orleans Pelicans.

After a weird preseason and a rough handful of games to tip-off the campaign proper, Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams looks to be trending in the right direction. Over his last eight appearances, the former No. 4 overall pick has averaged 10.9 points 4.4 rebounds and nearly a steal per game while posting shooting splits of 49/40/100.

Still, he has also been a net negative on the court, and he’s not really a natural power forward (despite the fact that he’s starting at the position for Billy Donovan). As such, there have been rumblings dating back to before last year’s trade deadline that Chicago could consider dealing him for a win-now four-man.

To that end, Windy City native and eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis makes at least some sense as a trade target, according to one league GM. The cost — beyond just parting with Williams — would be significant, though.

“The one thing I’ve said, if [the Lakers] were to make a deal, would be to send [Davis] back to Chicago for another Klutch guy, Zach LaVine,” the GM told Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney. “Davis is from Chicago, he would like to play there. LaVine played at UCLA and has said he want to play in LA I think that is the only deal that would sort of satisfy all parties.”

With that in mind, one hoops scribe just dropped a blockbuster trade proposal bringing AD to the Bulls.

B/R Proposal Sees the Bulls & Lakers Swap Stars

Bleacher Report‘s Grant Hughes put out a list of four potential landing spots for Davis in the event that the Lakers decide to pull the plug on their current core, one of which was the Windy City. Piggybacking off of Deveney’s intel, Hughes came up with the following trade involving the Bulls’ current star, as well as their star of the future:

• Los Angeles Lakers receive G Zach LaVine, F Patrick Williams, G Goran Dragic and a first-round pick in 2023 (via POR)
• Chicago Bulls receive F/C Anthony Davis

It was opined that Davis’ fit alongside Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan and a healthy Lonzo Ball would be an intruiging one. But Hughes was also seeking to patch over some of the Bulls’ biggest weak spots:

Davis could shore things up around the basket on offense and defense, helping Chicago retake control of that critical area of the floor. Vucevic would still be around to stretch the court, all the while guarding the other team’s five so AD could roam, ideally like a healthy Robert Williams III did to great effect in Boston last season.

Hughes invoking Williams’ name is ironic, given the fact that Davis shares a pretty significant red flag with the young pivot.

Davis Hasn’t Been Healthy for Years

Through nine games this season, Davis is averaging 23.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.6 steals per outing. It’s a line sure to make any frontcourt-challenged club salivate. But even if the Bulls could convince the Lake Show to send him home, how often would AD actually be healthy and putting up those numbers for his new team?

Davis hasn’t come close to playing a full, 82-game season since way back in the 2017-18 campaign (when he was still with the New Orleans Pelicans). Granted, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that curtailed his 2019-20 campaign more than anything, but the 29-year-old’s injury history is a jaw-dropper nonetheless.

And it’s difficult to bet on him suddenly becoming more durable as he enters his 30s.

Meanwhile, LaVine is younger at 27 and locked down for the long haul after putting his signature on a new, five-year contract with the Bulls over the summer. Barring a rebuild-type move garnering a gaggle of draft picks and young prospects, it’s difficult to envision Arturas Karnisovas dealing LaVine for anyone, let alone an older, injury-prone big who has been accused of lacking heart.