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The proposed trade would sent Anthony Davis to the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls‘ season is over. The Miami Heat eliminated them from the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday, April 16. Miami has now eliminated the Bulls from play-in contention in three consecutive seasons.

Following the Bulls’ latest elimination, the front office will likely plan ways to improve the current roster. Signing Josh Giddey to a new contract should top their priority list. However, what they do next remains open for discussion.

In an April 18 article for Bleacher Report, Andy Bailey suggested the Bulls should get involved in a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic. The deal would drastically improve Chicago’s roster and likely ensure they become a playoff team moving forward. Bailey’s trade idea looks like this:

Bulls Get: Anthony Davis and Gary Harris

Mavericks Get: Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Jonathan Isaac, a 2028 first-round pick (Bulls), a 2029 first-round pick swap with the Bulls and a top-five protected 2030 first-round pick from the Bulls.

Magic Get: Nikola Vucevic and a top-50 protected 2025 second-round pick from the Mavericks.

“Homecoming stories are always fun in the NBA. We’ve been tantalized with the possibility of Anthony Davis returning to his hometown Bulls in the past,” Bailey reasoned. “But the stars were never aligned for that reunion quite like they are right now..His rim-running would make him a near-ideal complement for Giddey. And the attention he’d command inside would take pressure off both Giddey and White. Two starters and multiple first-round picks is a steep price to pay, but the resulting roster could have Chicago competing for a top-six finish next season.”

A core trio of Giddey, Davis and Coby White would make the Bulls one of the more exciting teams in the Eastern Conference.

Adding Davis Would Be a Dice Roll For Bulls

The Mavericks might want to move on from Davis soon after trading Luka Doncic to acquire him, and the Bulls would undoubtedly be a prime destination. However, Chicago would need to be wary of Davis’ injury history. He has already missed considerable time since moving to Texas.

The Bulls have dealt with injury issues in recent years, most notably with Lonzo Ball. They likely wouldn’t add another injury-prone star unless they believed Davis is the missing piece to make their roster a contender.

Bulls Expected to Build Via Draft and Free Agency

In an April 4 mailbag article from NBA.com, Bulls’ insider Sam Smith revealed that the front office may favor a slower, more sustainable re-tooling of the current roster.

“The Bulls seem pretty done with the big-time-free-agent Alpha route and Big Three makeup,” Sam Smith wrote in a recent mailbag for NBA.com. “…But since the Vučević trade it seems like the Bulls have decided, especially with the urgency in the LaVine trade to get their own daft pick back, that the future will be more about using their own picks in an organic improvement.”

Smith continued.

“…I doubt the Bulls endanger that by trying to make a move to win once—or get to sixth—than gradually building upon what they have. It’s difficult, but it seems like they are going to pursue sustainability over the spectacular. A lot of teams like Philadelphia recently won the offseason; it’s not as valid a route anymore.”

The last time the Bulls tried to build a contender via the trade market, things didn’t work out too well. As such, Chicago should logically pivot toward a slower, more methodical process. Adding Davis would create a great story for the city and the fan base. However, this move likely wouldn’t position the franchise as a contender.

The Bulls likely won’t get involved in a trade of this nature. Furthermore, the Mavericks probably won’t part with Davis so soon after they shocked the world by trading for him.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor