The Chicago Bulls are finally showing signs of life in 2025-26. After a blistering 5-0 start, their best since the Jordan glory days, they’ve cooled off to 9-11, clinging to 10th in the East.
Josh Giddey is on an All-Star trajectory, averaging 20.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists, as Matas Buzelis is turning heads as the sophomore spark plug. Noa Essengue, their shiny new No. 12 pick, just turned 19 and is already flashing two-way potential.
It’s not Finals-bound, and maybe they won’t even make the postseason this year, but it’s progress. A far cry from the DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine trades hangover that tanked them last year.
Enter the whispers: Anthony Davis, the hometown kid from Chicago, is suddenly available. The Mavericks are in full chaos mode after trading Luka for him last February, and reportedly shopping the 32-year-old big man amid GM firings, calf injuries, and a rebuild around rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.
Dallas is 7-15 overall now, but don’t let that fool you; they’re desperate to offload Davis’ $54 million deal before the deadline. Sources say the Bulls are sniffing around, dreaming of a prodigal son reunion.
Sounds poetic, right? Wrong. Straight up, it’d be a disaster. Davis is elite when healthy, but trading for him now would torpedo Chicago’s fragile momentum and lock them into irrelevance. Here’s why chasing this ghost would sink the Bulls for years.
1. The Injury History Won’t Go Away
Anthony Davis has suited up for 70+ games just twice since 2018. This season? He logged a measly five games for Dallas, averaging 20.8 points and 10.2 boards before a calf strain sidelined him for nearly a month, as he came back to face the Lakers just last Friday.
That’s his third soft-tissue tweak in 18 months. At 32, with 700+ NBA games on those creaky knees, he’s a walking load management nightmare. Remember his Pelicans days? Or the Lakers’ endless “AD watch”?
Yes, he scored 32 points, along with 13 rebounds, in a shocking win against the Nuggets last night, posting 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists for the year, but played just 7 games in six weeks of the season.
The Bulls are finally building around youth with Matas Buzelis (20 years old, 13.6 PPG), Josh Giddey (23, 3rd league wide in assists per game at 9.1), and Coby White (25, 24.5 PPG). Essengue’s already blocking 1.8 shots per 36 minutes as a rookie. Why hitch your wagon to a guy who’s missed 40% of games the last three years? One more tweak, and you’re back to the DeMar DeRozan lottery purgatory. It’s safe to say: the league’s sleeping on Chicago’s window, but AD slams it shut.
2. The Cost Would Strip-Mine Your Draft Capital Or Youth Core
Dallas isn’t dumping Davis for cents on the dollar. With the Mavs over the second apron and craving picks to pair with Flagg (who’s dropping 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds already), expect them to demand unprotected firsts—2026, 2028, maybe 2030—plus swap rights and a young gun like Patrick Williams or Ayo Dosunmu. Throw in Essengue if they’re feeling greedy; the kid’s a 7-footer with guard skills, exactly what a rebuild needs.
Chicago’s finally asset-rich post-LaVine: eight firsts in the bank, plus Buzelis locked up cheap through 2028. Hand that over, and you’re left with AD’s massive deal (player option in 2028, but he’ll opt in for the $62.7 million) and a roster of vets on the decline.
No flexibility for the next Flagg-type steal. It’s the classic Bulls trap: chasing a star rental instead of building sustainably. Hands down, this trade turns your war chest into fool’s gold.
3. Timeline Clash With Their Younger Roster
Davis turns 33 in March. Elite? Sure, when healthy, he is a top-10 defender, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game for his career. But his prime was five years ago. Pair him with Giddey and White, and what? A first-round exit at best, before Davis’ injuries start again, and your core’s still figuring out the playoffs.
The Bulls’ surge (top-10 pace, sixth in assists) screams “grow together.” Davis disrupts that as a heliocentric big who clogs the paint, forcing White into off-ball inefficiency. No question: this is the move that ages your roster overnight, leaving you picking at No. 14 while other contenders reload. The East is brutal; why accelerate the clock?
4. Cap Hell: That $54 Million Anchor Drags Everyone Down
Anthony Davis’ salary is a monster $54.1 million this year, $58.4 million next, and $62.7 million in 2028 if he opts in (spoiler: he will). The Bulls are comfortably under the first apron now, with $178 million committed but room to add role players like a true point or wing stopper. Absorb AD, and you’re slamming into repeater tax territory, especially with White’s extension looming ($28M/year) and Giddey’s rising.
New CBA rules are brutal for teams like Chicago. Limited mid-level exceptions, no sign-and-trades, frozen picks if you’re way over. Imagine trying to flip AD mid-contract when he’s hurt again. This isn’t the 2010s; it’s the apron era. Trading for him turns financial flexibility into a straitjacket, dooming free agency pursuits for years.
5. Cultural Fit Might Become Hometown Heartbreak
Born in Chicago, Davis grew up idolizing the Bulls. Poetic homecoming? Try sequel to his 2019 Pelicans exit: constant trade drama, fan frustration, and a star who bolts at the first whiff of contention. Imagine United Center chants turning sour after 40 games missed. The Bulls’ vibe is renewed with a young, athletic, and fast-paced roster that doesn’t need to lose its identity for the sake of bringing in an injury-prone, former All-Star.
Worse, he overlaps with Nikola Vucevic (if he’s still around post-trade rumors) and clogs minutes for Essengue’s development. The Bulls need a culture of grit, not another ball stopper. This “dream” trade is a mirage, pulling Chicago back into the dysfunction they just escaped.
The Bulls aren’t contenders yet, but they’re on their way. Trading for Davis is the panic button that resets the clock to zero. Stay the course, draft smart, let the youth develop. In today’s NBA, loyalty to the process pays off.
Final Thoughts
Trading for Anthony Davis sounds tantalizing on paper: a big name, proven star power, defensive anchor, veteran presence. But when you thread through injuries, contract burden, style mismatch, long-term flexibility and developmental cost, the move looks far more like a gamble than a strategic upgrade.
For the Chicago Bulls, who currently possess youth, depth, flexibility and future assets, the smarter play is patience. Let the core grow. Protect cap space. Add role players and shooters. Build synergy before pressing the panic button for a “win-now” splash.
Because right now, betting on Anthony Davis doesn’t feel like progression. It feels like surrendering long-term upside for short-term illusion.
