Anthony Davis has been the All-Star player the Los Angeles Lakers have hoped for and more as he has helped catapult his new team to a Western Conference-best 5-1 record in the early stages of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Through six games, Davis is averaging a robust 28.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.0 blocks and is anchoring one of the league’s best defensive teams. His impact has been nothing short of outstanding as he and LeBron James have quelled any offseason concerns about their fit on the court.
There is always some risk when trading for a player of Davis’ caliber as there is always a possibility they can leave and ruin a team’s long-term plans to build around them. In the team’s case, a scenario in which Davis chooses to leave would be disastrous when one considers how much they gave up in order to acquire him from New Orleans.
So far, Davis has shot down any questions regarding his pending 2020 NBA free agency but seemed to leave the door open when asked about playing for his hometown Chicago Bulls, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN:
Lakers star Anthony Davis on possibility of playing for hometown Chicago Bulls in future: “I mean, I am a free agent next year … but we will see.” pic.twitter.com/Y377w1AlAQ
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) November 5, 2019
Davis was born and raised in Chicago, so it is no surprise that he would be linked to the Bulls. However, him entertaining the thought of going to Chicago publicly is sure to raise some alarms as he has been good about not creating any unnecessary speculation about his offseason plans.
The All-Star is currently on the last year of his deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent, but it is hard to imagine him leaving a Los Angeles team that so far has the looks of a championship contender for a rebuilding Chicago team that is currently struggling.
He has repeatedly stated that his only goal is to win a championship and the purple and gold represent the best opportunity for him to do that.
Davis’ comments should not be taken too seriously given how early it is and how much would need to happen between now and the summer for him to consider a scenery change.