Anthony Davis Cannot Stop Talking About Potentially Leaving The Lakers

If there's one thing we can say is a new trend in today's NBA, it's guys looking to go "home" once they hit NBA free agency. It all really started with LeBron going back to CLE, but we've seen it happen more and more over the years including this summer with Kyrie/Kawhi/Paul George etc. Now on the surface it seems crazy that Anthony Davis would leave LeBron and the Lakers, a team he pretty much forced his way to but listen where there's smoke there is certainly fire. It would be one thing if that clip was the only time Davis has talked about a move to CHI in the future, maybe he's playing to the crowd a little bit who knows, but that's the thing. It's not. 

You may remember this little comment from this past summer 

“I mean, (this is) definitely hometown,” he said. “If the opportunity ever presents itself and when that time comes, I’d definitely consider it.”

Davis, who grew up in Englewood and rose from relative obscurity at Perspectives Charter School to win a national title at Kentucky and become a six-time All-Star by age 26, offered a more substantive answer about why giving back to his community matters to him.

“It’s a connection,” he said. “A lot of these kids are from the same neighborhoods that I’m from. And so to have someone come back that they can relate to, I think that’s a huge impact on them.

Makes you think. Then you think back to how noncommittal he was with Rachel Nichols a few days after those comments

Interesting, but expected. He's not going to blow his leverage before the season even starts. Plenty of things can happen over the course of an NBA season where a player isn't going to want to get trapped by what he says before the games start and they have a Kyrie Irving 2.0 situation on their hands.

But I will say, it is interesting that Davis is saying shit like this despite the Lakers riding a 5 game winning streak where they look pretty damn good. You expect this shit to come out if they struggle or LeBron alienates his teammates, shit like that. But to say it while things are good? Even if it's mostly bullshit the fact that Davis is even putting this out as a potential distraction is noteworthy. 

Now, can the Bulls even pull this off this summer when AD hits the market? Considering he's going to require max money, I'm not sure how they get there unless they make some serious moves. This is what their cap situation looks like for the 2020-21 season

You also have to factor in Kris Dunn's 16M cap hold and whatever rookie they end up taking this year which could be another high lottery salary. Unless the Lakers were down to do some sort of sign and trade, I'm not seeing how they fit Davis into their roster but shit if Rich Paul tells you that AD wants to sign with you my guess is you find a way to open up the space. Shit, maybe he even takes a hometown discount if he's so serious about coming back to Chicago.

In the end, I'd put this at maybe a 2% chance of happening this summer. Now if the Lakers implode and maybe have an early playoff exit and things aren't so smooth like they are now? Perhaps that changes, but considering the Lakers pretty much mortgaged their future in order to bring Davis in, as a Laker fan I certainly wouldn't love all these quotes about how he can't wait to play in CHI and then tossing out his pending free agency. NBA players are wildly unpredictable so while logic says he'd be stupid to leave LeBron and the Lakers, we've seen crazier shit over the years.