The Chicago Bulls could bring Anthony Davis home by offering multiple draft picks to the Mavericks. Dallas is interested in moving the future Hall of Famer if the rumors are true. Nico Harrison traded for AD, but his firing puts everything on the table. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Bulls are a superstar away from being a serious threat.
Davis will forever be linked to the insane Luka Doncic trade, but the Mavericks are not getting that type of value in return. The ten-time All-Star has played just 16 games since arriving in Dallas and has a lengthy injury history. He is elite when on the floor, but nobody knows what to expect. This is the Bulls' shot to buy low like the Mavs did to get Kyrie Irving.
Arturas Karnisovas is not known as a master trader, but his recent deals keep looking better. Josh Giddey has become a standout in Chicago, but the Bulls need a defensive anchor to clean things up. Davis could be just that, and this offer should get it done.
Bulls could steal Anthony Davis from Mavericks with no-brainer offer
The market for AD will be limited. He has played in 60 or more games just twice since 2017. Davis is owed $58.4 million next season and has a $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. Acquiring him is a massive risk.
The most troubling aspect is that Davis is extension-eligible in the 2026 offseason and will want a massive deal. Things could look ugly at the backend of that extension, but trading for a superstar is always costly.
If the Bulls get aggressive, they could swap Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, and Isaac Okoro for Davis to make the salaries work. Then, Chicago would just need to offer enough draft capital to win the bidding war.
Many are projecting AD to be traded for one first round draft pick. The Bulls could swing in with two and give Dallas some needed trade ammo in building around Cooper Flagg.
It would be a bold move for both sides. The Mavs would be selling low on Davis as Chicago swings for a risky superstar. It is the Bulls' chance to get a top 15 player when healthy and be a serious threat. That seems like a gamble worth taking for a franchise that has long been stuck in the middle.
The Bulls would have a stew going if the 3-point shooting leaps from Giddey and Matas Buzelis prove real. Chicago would have a dangerous attack, especially with Coby White healthy, and a head coach capable of getting more out of his defense than the sum of its parts.
The Chicago Bulls desperately need to pick a direction. Ownership clearly wants them to contend, so this trade raises their ceiling. Anthony Davis needs to be healthy. If he is, this could be just another shrewd move by the front office as the franchise unexpectedly breaks out of mediocrity. Crazier things have happened.