Anthony Davis Trade: 3 Chicago Bulls thoughts post-Lakers deal
How the power shifts
With the way the Golden State Warriors could be breaking apart this off-season, after falling short against Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals, the Western Conference could be more open than it has been in the past five years this coming season. Landing Anthony Davis instantly makes the Lakers a contender in the West if both him and LeBron stay healthy.
A lot of pressure now falls on where Kawhi lands in free agency this summer. The Lakers weren’t likely to bring in a big name via the free agent market this summer, but they don’t need to now with AD in the mix. The Clippers would now have to land a piece like Kawhi or package stars together around the likes of Jimmy Butler, as one example, to thrive in the West.
It looks like the West will be the stronger conference once again. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks looked to be the only realistic teams in the East that could draw AD away from the Pelicans. The Chicago Bulls weren’t a realistic landing spot for him, even though he is a Windy City native.
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The Lakers now join the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston Rockets as the teams that could sit atop the standings in the West next season. This move shouldn’t shift much for the balance of power in the East for the Bulls, though.