CHICAGO – Just when you thought the NBA trade rumor mill was winding down for the early season, the Chicago Bulls are reportedly gearing up for a seismic shift that could redefine their franchise overnight. Sources close to the organization whisper that Bulls executive Marc Eversley is eyeing a blockbuster deal to acquire disgruntled superstar Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, dangling prized guard Coby White – the longest-tenured Bull on the roster – as the centerpiece of a package worth north of $54 million in salary commitments.
The Bulls, who dazzled with a blistering 6-1 start to the 2025-26 season, have hit a wall, dropping their last three games amid defensive lapses and inconsistent scoring. With a fourth straight playoff drought looming like a dark cloud over the United Center, the front office knows time is of the essence. As the trade deadline approaches – still months away but feeling imminent with the way the league’s chips are falling – Chicago is wasting no time positioning itself for a reset. And who better to lead the charge than the Chicago-born prodigy himself: “The Brow,” Anthony Davis.
The Mavericks’ Mess: A Luka Trade Gone Wrong Sets AD Free
The catalyst for this potential bombshell? Chaos in Dallas. Just days ago, the Mavericks shockingly parted ways with GM Nico Harrison, a move insiders are calling an admission of failure in the infamous Luka Dončić trade that shipped the Slovenian sensation to the Knicks last summer. What was supposed to be a bold retool around Kyrie Irving and a revamped roster has devolved into dysfunction, with Davis – acquired as the crown jewel of that deal – reportedly fuming on the sidelines.
Davis, the 32-year-old All-NBA powerhouse who’s averaged 26.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game this season despite the Mavs’ 4-6 skid, has made it clear: he’s done being a sidekick in a franchise that views him as a “mistake.” “AD can’t stomach another year as anything less than the alpha,” one league source told us. “Dallas knows they overpaid, and with Harrison out, they’re open to flipping him for assets that actually fit their timeline.”
Enter the Warriors as the frontrunners, per CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, who pegged Golden State as Davis’s ideal landing spot alongside Stephen Curry for a veteran title push. But in a twist that tugs at every Chicagoan’s heartstrings, Quinn slotted the Bulls as the second-best fit – a “hometown homecoming” that could ignite the city like Michael Jordan’s ’98 Finals run.
The Trade Blueprint: White as Bait, Picks and Expirings as Glue
Quinn’s blueprint for the deal is as audacious as it is feasible. Chicago would part with Coby White, the 25-year-old sharpshooter who’s blossomed into a 20-plus PPG scorer over the last two seasons, locked into a four-year, $90 million extension that makes him a tantalizing trade chip. But here’s the kicker: the Bulls have thrived without him lately.
“Chicago’s played so well without Coby White that they could probably justify including him in the trade and fully handing the backcourt over to Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu,” Quinn wrote in his latest column. “Having Davis around would go a long way for the development of Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue. The Bulls have their picks and they have a bunch of expiring contracts. This is doable.”
The proposed package? White’s $21.8 million salary this year (part of that $54 million shake-up), paired with forwards like Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig’s combined $22 million in expiring deals, plus Chicago’s 2027 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a 2029 second-rounder. It’s salary-matched, asset-light for Dallas – who could flip White to a contender like the Heat or Nuggets for more youth – and a dream scenario for the Bulls, who shed long-term money while landing a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber anchor.
White, a Bulls lifer since 2019, has been the picture of consistency: two straight 20-5 seasons, All-Star buzz, and a green light from three-point land that’s stretched defenses to their breaking point. But in a backcourt suddenly crowded with Giddey’s playmaking wizardry, Dosunmu’s two-way grit, and Jones’s steady hand, he’s expendable. “It’d sting – Coby’s our heartbeat,” said one Bulls insider. “But he deserves a shot at contention, not another rebuild year in the shadows.”
Hometown Heroics: AD’s Chicago Roots Run Deep
For Davis, the pull is personal. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, the 6-foot-10 unicorn grew up idolizing the Bulls’ dynasty, dreaming of donning the red and black. His bond with LeBron James – forged on multiple Team USA squads – adds another layer; James, now in his twilight with the Lakers, has long whispered about Davis’s untapped potential in a Bulls uniform. “Bron’s told him: ‘Go home, be the king they need,'” our source revealed.
And motivation? Davis has it in spades. Dallas’s malaise has sapped his fire, but a return to the Windy City could reignite the beast. He’s still one of the league’s elite rim protectors when locked in – anchoring the Pelicans’ top-five defense as recently as 2023 – and his mid-range mastery would pair beautifully with Zach LaVine’s scoring punch and Nikola Vučević’s pick-and-pop game. Imagine Buzelis, the 19-year-old lottery pick, learning post footwork from AD. Or Essengue, the French phenom big, shadowing his defensive rotations. The Bulls’ youth movement just got a Hall of Famer as its shepherd.
Nostalgia, Relevance, and the NBC Spotlight
With the NBA back on NBC this season – a nod to the Jordan-era glory days – Chicago owes the league a spark. The Bulls aren’t just a team; they’re a cultural institution, and four years of mediocrity have dimmed that shine. Davis changes everything: instant relevance, national TV darling status, and a defensive identity that’s been MIA since Joakim Noah hung up his sneakers.
The Mavs? They won’t recoup Luka-level value, but White’s scoring, the picks, and salary relief let them pivot toward a full teardown. It’s pragmatic poetry – everyone wins, except maybe the Warriors’ dreams.
As Eversley weighs his options before the season hits its critical juncture (hello, December gauntlet against the East’s beasts), all eyes are on the United Center. Will the Bulls pull the trigger? Sources say talks have heated up, with Davis’s camp pushing for a Chicago sit-down. If it happens, it’ll be the franchise’s boldest swing since the Rose era. And for a city starved for banners, it might just be the bombshell we’ve been waiting for.