NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Leaving Lakers To ‘Rep Home’ With Bulls Next Season, According To ESPN Analyst
All-Star center Anthony Davis may currently be focused on helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship title, but when the 2019-20 NBA season is officially over, he will need to make a tough decision regarding his future in the league. Davis has a player option on his contract that will enable him to become an unrestricted free agent this fall. Though multiple signs point toward him returning to the Lakers, he will likely continue to be linked to other teams until he officially signs a new deal.
One of the top landing spots for Davis, if he considers leaving the Purple and Gold in the offseason, is his hometown team — the Chicago Bulls. In a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy, ESPN analyst Jay Williams predicted AD will part ways with the Lakers to “rep home” with the Bulls next season.
“Anthony Davis is coming up, people,” Williams said, as transcribed by Sean Deveney of Heavy. “He’s coming up. If the Lakers don’t do it this year, hello, Chicago. That’s where he is from. We’ve got to start pitching to people who want to come back home and rep home.
Though there’s only a minimal chance of it happening in the 2020 offseason, Davis hasn’t really ruled out the possibility of playing for the Bulls. During a visit to his old school, Perspectives Charter School in Chicago, Davis talked about how he loves “playing at home” and representing his hometown in the NBA. Like LeBron James — who left the Miami Heat for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the summer of 2014 — Williams thinks that Davis may also consider returning home to help Chicago end their years-long title drought.
“People laughed off LeBron going back to Cleveland, didn’t they?” Williams said. “We live in a new age. Look at what is happening. The Baltimore Ravens came out with a statement, like, what are you doing for your local community? It means something.”
If it happened, the acquisition of Davis would dramatically change the fate of the Bulls. He would tremendously boost their performance on both ends of the floor and give them a player they could officially call the face of the franchise. Having a player of AD’s caliber on their roster could also make Chicago an attractive destination for free-agent superstars once again.
However, to have a chance of convincing “The Brow” to leave the Lakers in the 2020 free agency, the Bulls will need to show him that they are serious about competing for the championship title next year. Unless they make multiple major roster upgrades this fall, Davis will likely only consider joining the team once he wins multiple championship rings with the Lakers or other legitimate contenders.
