We’re only about a month into the 2022-23 NBA season and the trade rumors are already swirling.
In Sunday’s episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, Simmons stated that there’s been ‘buzz’ that Lakers star Anthony Davis is available for trade.
“There’s some buzz, some buzzing that AD might be available,” Simmons said. “That that’s a Plan B. Because the Westbrook trade, or whatever they think they can get for Westbrook and whether you want to give up future assets, maybe that doesn’t even make sense because what are you getting if you’re the Lakers?”
Simmons and Kevin O’Connor both mentioned the Chicago Bulls as a potential trade partner for Davis, who was born and raised in the Windy City.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes listed potential landing spots for Davis, which surely included the Bulls.
Bulls receive: Anthony Davis
Lakers receive: Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Goran Dragic, and a 2023 first-round pick (via POR)
First off, this trade makes sense for both teams, especially if the Lakers are indeed making Davis available. For Los Angeles, if you part with a player of the caliber of AD, you need a star back along with young talent and picks, and that’s exactly what this deal provides for the Lakers.
Acquiring LaVine, who is from the West Coast and went to UCLA, along with Patrick Williams and a 2023 first-round pick, should entice Rob Pelinka and company. Not to forget veteran guard Goran Dragic, who would immediately play a crucial role in the Lakers’ backcourt.
As Hughes noted, a Western Conference exec explained to Heavy’s Sean Deveney that both the hometown and Klutch links or both Davis and LaVine make sense for this proposed trade.
“But the one thing I’ve said, if they were to make a deal, would be to send him back to Chicago for another Klutch guy, Zach LaVine,” a Western Conference GM told Deveney. “Davis is from Chicago, he would like to play there. LaVine played at UCLA and has said he wants to play in L.A. I think that is the only deal that would sort of satisfy all parties. Because, look, the Lakers wanted AD to be the guy who took over the franchise after LeBron, and it is obvious he is not the guy to do that. Maybe LaVine can be?”
For the Bulls, you do lose an All-Star in Zach LaVine, who just resigned this past offseason and has completely entrenched himself within Chicago, along with the prospect of Patrick Williams potentially hitting his ceiling, or something close to it — but, you gain a true All-NBA talent in Davis who can be the defensive anchor, which you desperately need.
Adding Davis alongside DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso gives the Bulls a versatile defensive lineup. The fit alongside Nikola Vucevic may be awkward with Davis, opening the Bulls to potentially shop Vooch come the deadline, who is on an expiring deal.
Overall, if this trade is available for the Bulls, I think Arturas Karnisovas and company pull the trigger.
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