After the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, many people around the league expect the next step to be an Anthony Davis trade. Harrison was the one who brought AD to compete for a title right now, but that vision never came to fruition because of injuries. The Mavericks can and should pivot to Cooper Flagg as their next franchise cornerstone. This year is the last one in which they will have a draft pick, and bottoming out can help them net a rotation player. Right now, it seems a Davis trade is a matter of when, not if.
Anthony Davis’ Next Destination Could Shake Up The NBA
The Chicago Bulls are one of the most surprising stories of the early season. For years, fans in Chicago have been dreaming of bringing a superstar back home. And now, it seems like AD might be the logical target. Nobody expected the Bulls to be this good. With the Eastern Conference being open, many insiders are whispering that Chicago could be a possible destination for Davis. If that happens, Davis will be part of a blockbuster trade for the third time in his career.
Can the Bulls Pull Off A Major Trade?
Right now, the Bulls seem to be stuck between rebuilding and contending. For the past several years, people around the league jokingly called them the play-in Bulls. The name is nod to their always making it to the play-in but never to the playoffs. The team is rolling right now. With plenty of assets, it might be time to pull off a major trade. They do have the assets and the motivation to trade for a player like Davis.
For the Mavericks, the lure would be getting some salary relief, and the Bulls have expiring contracts such as those of Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Coby White. If the Mavs can get White, that would be great, as he can be a long-term solution at the point guard position. The Bulls can potentially offer two draft picks in the upcoming draft: their own and the Portland Trail Blazers’ pick. That Blazers pick is protected 1–14, but Portland is looking solid right now.
Even if they only get the Bulls’ pick, Dallas would have two picks in the 2026 loaded draft, salary relief, and potentially a long-term solution at the point guard position. The potential trade seems too good to be true.
Can An Anthony Davis Trade Lift The Bulls?
Right now, the Bulls are 20th in defensive rating in the league, allowing 115.7 points per 100 possessions. Davis has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, but he has been close a couple of times. Two seasons ago, he finished in the top five in voting and made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. While he hasn’t been the same dominant force on the defensive end in recent seasons due to injuries, Davis is still a better defensive player than Vucevic.
The question for the Bulls’ front office is whether they are willing to invest money in an injury-prone center. Unlike AD, Vucevic has played 70+ games in each of the last five seasons. AD has played 70+ games in only three seasons of his career.
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