It's no secret that the Chicago Bulls are desperate for a rim protector. After a shocking 5-0 start, Billy Donovan's team has gone 1-4 in its last five games, and it's beginning to seem more and more like Chicago's run to kick off the season was a bit of a mirage.
As the Bulls continue to struggle horribly at defending the paint, taking advantage of the Dallas Mavericks' dysfunction and trading for Anthony Davis seems like a logical fix. But it's far from logical and far from a fix of any kind.
A Bulls trade for Anthony Davis would be a massive mistake
On paper, Davis is a perfect fit for Donovan's style of play. He's long, strong, and even at 32 years old, one of the league's most athletic centers (more on that shortly). He can get up and down the floor quicker than almost any true five in the league. He's an elite rim protector and finisher. He can score or facilitate off the short roll. He's a capable iso scorer. The idea of Davis and Josh Giddey running a two-man game is extremely enticing.
But the former No. 1 overall pick prefers to play power forward, not center. He's a decent floor spacer, but not a great one, and offenses tend to get clogged up when he's next to a big man who isn't a threat from the 3-point line.
And this hypothetical scenario in which Davis plays the role of defensive rim deterrent and offensive fulcrum is dependent on one thing: The Brow staying healthy -- and that's been a near impossible task for him to accomplish.
Davis has career averages of 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks. He's a 10-time All-Star, has been named to five All-NBA teams, has made five All-Defense teams, has led the NBA in blocks three times, won the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and is a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
However, he has only played in more than 56 games once since the 2019-20 season. He's played 267 of a possible 410 in the last five years. He's already missed the Mavericks' previous six games with a calf injury.
ESPN's Tim McMahon, a long-time Dallas insider, said on The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t Bleacher Report) that he believes Mavs governor Patrick Dumont will "at least" discuss the idea of trading Davis.
If Dumont does sign off on trading his star, the Mavericks will surely ask too high a price. If they deal with the Bulls, their request could look something like Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and a few first-round picks.
In his 15th season with his lengthy injury history, the idea of Davis is far more appealing than the player. As nice a story as it would be to bring the Chicago native home for the final chapter of his career, it would be a stupid move on the part of the Bulls and executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.