Pelica Debrief
Fansided

Lottery teams that could trade #1 overall pick for Pelicans’ Anthony Davis

By Malcolm Banks

Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 9
Next
Anthony Davis New Orleans Pelicans
(Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) /

Chicago Bulls

Chicago is home for Davis and the Bulls organization has been yearning for a real face of the franchise since former MVP Derrick Rose’s knees betrayed him. Now, the Bulls are in a rebuild situation similar to the Pelicans, and there is a legitimate argument that it wouldn’t make sense in the long-term to deal for Davis. Ranking 25th overall in defensive rating (112.5), Chicago will look to improve in that area. What better way than acquiring a 2018 All-NBA defensive first team player?

Should the Bulls decide to pursue a deal, the front office would have to work a minor miracle if they would like to acquire Davis and create enough space to go after another star to pair with him. Current starting small forward Otto Porter signed a four-year $106 million deal last summer and is slated to make $27 million next season. With Davis remaining firm in his stance that he wants to play for a winner, the Bulls would have to sell more than a homecoming to convince him on staying long-term.

If the Bulls feel confident in their chances on building a winner around Davis, the framework for such a deal would have to start with Lauri Markkanen — the Bulls’ brightest young star.