Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar Anthony Davis made light comments regarding his free agency this summer by opening up to the possibility of coming to the Chicago Bulls. However, it really is too early to make assumptions.
If you’re a Chicago Bulls fan, don’t get too ahead of yourself. Why should Anthony Davis come to the Bulls? Is the hometown factor really enough? Davis was at a Nike event in Chicago on Monday before the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Bulls on Tuesday.
During the event, Davis, a native of the south side of Chicago and Perspectives Charter School, where he played high school ball, told a kid that it’s a possibility that he signs in Chicago this offseason as a free agent, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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Like any Lakers’ story, the media made a big deal of it, using Davis’ comments to drive a wedge into what he has going on in L.A. or to give Bulls fans a sick hope they haven’t had since Derrick Rose busted his knee into 30 pieces in 2012.
Regardless, the idea of Davis’ free agency is something that can’t be ignored in his story this year.
And the idea that the Bulls could sniff a player of AD’s caliber is a bright spot on their season which has been going quite awfully.
Davis himself clarified those comments on Tuesday morning.
Anthony Davis says he never said he considered going to Chicago next summer. He said he is focused on winning a championship with the Lakers, everyone is aware he’ll be a free agent and “we’ll see where it goes.”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 5, 2019
It’s still a breath of hope, a shot in the dark, the idea of getting Anthony Davis. Is he supposed to tell a kid that he wouldn’t consider going to Chicago? That doesn’t seem like something any player would do. Remember when Kyrie Irving got in front of thousands of die-hard Boston Celtics fans pleading his loyalty?
There is still a chance the Bulls can get Anthony Davis this summer. They would have to make room for a potential max contract and with the team having $50.57 million in Zach Lavine, Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young, and … Cristiano Felicio, it seems a little difficult. Also, if Otto Porter Jr. picks up his team option, he will be owed $28 million.
Of course, if Anthony Davis actually does want to come to Chicago, they will make room.
Will he come to the Windy City though? That question has to be answered after the season. The Lakers are looking like the best team in the league right now, Anthony Davis is thriving alongside LeBron James and somehow they even got Dwight Howard to play exceptionally well. Now that is a good system.
Why would Anthony Davis want to leave that? It’s the first time in his career that he is surrounded by competent talent. His trade-demand saga at the end of his New Orleans Pelicans stint brought him to L.A.; why would he throw that out after one year?
The truth is, Davis is a free agent this summer. Anything can really happen in the crazy scope of the association. The closest comparison you could make would be Kawhi Leonard signing this summer to play for the LA Clippers coming off of an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors. Leonard’s decision was actually met with a lot of love from people.
Here are the facts:
- Both Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis wanted out of their first organizations.
- Both players were only signed for one year on their new team.
- Both players’ presence made their team championship contenders.
- Neither player is the most candid when it comes to talking to the media.
Also,
Kawhi Leonard went back home.
Kawhi Leonard met up with another star in Paul George on his new team.
So if you want to draw these situations as somewhat of a parallel, you won’t be too far off. But I do believe that Anthony Davis wouldn’t go to Chicago by himself. Either a player on the Bulls proves they can be a player who can be a solid Finals player, which no one on that team looks like, or Davis has another player meet up with him.
The possibility of seeing Davis in a Bulls jersey isn’t too small. But the chance of it happening next summer are slim to none. This season has to play out to its fullest extent; If the Lakers win a championship, one would think that if Kawhi never did what he did that AD would have no reason to leave LA.
But if the Lakers fall out and the LeBron and AD project doesn’t seem to be going LeBron’s way, Chicago seems like the place that Davis would find nice.
And who wouldn’t welcome Davis? It’s just too early to tell.