2 hometown talents who should never play for the Chicago Bulls

From long-gone local legends like Derrick Rose to up-and-comers such as Ayo Dosunmu, to veteran leaders like Nazr Mohammed and even flash-in-the-pan role players like Walt Lemon Jr., each of these players all have one thing in common — fans loved seeing them get the chance to play for their hometown Chicago Bulls.

Few cities are as notorious for representing their homegrown talent quite as much as Chicago, and for good reason. These days, success stories are becoming much less frequent as young talent is continually outsourced to the west coast each year. In fact, only one player from the last three draft classes has come from the Windy City, the aforementioned Dosunmu.

It’s for this reason that fans are so quick to cling to the players they’ve seen grow and develop since childhood. Whether that means following along as Rose dominates the competition at Simeon before being selected first overall, or watching Dosunmu lead the University of Illinois to their best season since their 2005 championship appearance, these players have come to mean so much to us.

Well, perhaps not all of these players end up having such gripping stories. Some, like NBA legend Dwyane Wade and former top pick Jabari Parker, have taken advantage of their prestigious name value and connections to fleece the Bulls for a big payday before quitting on the team early. It’s for precisely this reason that giving the benefit of the doubt to a player simply because of where they were born can come back to bite you in the end.

Despite their homegrown roots, it would be a mistake to bring either of these players back home to play for the Chicago Bulls.

As it currently stands, only seven players in the NBA grew up here in Chicago. That number is surprisingly low given the city’s basketball history, and I don’t expect it to get much higher in the coming years. Those seven include the aforementioned Rose and Dosunmu, as well as a handful of role players like Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and John Konchar all fighting for consistent minutes on contending teams.

I wouldn’t hate the idea of any of these three coming to play for the Bulls, but I’m also not overly ecstatic at the thought either. Instead, I’d like to focus on the last two active players from Chicago, as they’re the type of players fans would get excited for — even if they shouldn’t.

1. Anthony Davis

It feels like fans have been trying to propose ways for Anthony Davis to make his way to the Chicago Bulls ever since he enjoyed a standout rookie season for New Orleans. While Davis may be a supremely talented player, there are just too many reservations to be had about his return to Chicago.

First and foremost, Davis’ injury issues are well-documented for a reason. Although it may feel like a lazy argument at this point, the fact he has not played 70 or more games since 2017-18 simply cannot be ignored. There’s also the fact that he’s repeatedly shown he’s an elite second option rather than a transcendental star that can carry his team through the playoffs. He never won 50 or more games in seven seasons in New Orleans, and only has one playoff series victory to show for things.

The enormous price tag associated with the cost of bringing him to the Bulls is also just too exorbitant for my tastes. Signing him to a supermax feels like a terrible idea at this point, but trading for him may become even worse. One league executive believes that potential trade negotiations for Davis would begin around Zach LaVine, and could even grow from there.

Oh, and worst of all, Anthony Davis is a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan. No true Chicagoan would ever commit such a crime. For that reason, it’s a hard pass on The Brow.

2. Patrick Beverley

There’s a reason why fans all around the league despise Patrick Beverley, besides the fans of whichever team he plays for. His loud mouth and trash talk can be grating for many, but there’s no denying he’s got just as much bite as he does bark.

Every team he plays for is better off for it, as his tenacious presence and will to win provides something so many locker rooms around the league are missing. It’s for these reasons I even advocated for the Bulls to sign Beverley when he was a free agent all the way back in 2019.

Despite all this, the Chicago Bulls are in an entirely different position now than they were there years ago. The Bulls are stocked up on talent at both guard positions, and there are simply not enough minutes to go around these days. After turning 34 years old in July, Beverley likely only has a few years of quality basketball left. Outside of Goran Dragic, the next oldest guard in the rotation is Alex Caruso at 28 years old.

With Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White all set to hit their stride in the next few years, it just makes no sense to add an aging veteran like Pat Bev to the core. That much is especially true when I don’t expect his mouth to fall off like his basketball ability will, a scary proposition for a team that has founded an almost zen-like atmosphere led by the ever-calm and collected DeMar DeRozan.