The Bulls have fallen back down to Earth after their hot 6-1 start, now riding a three-game losing streak.

Is the recent slide merely a product of a difficult schedule? Or is it indicative of the type of team Chicago will be moving forward? The Bulls' most recent loss to San Antonio came without point guard Josh Giddey, and Coby White has yet to make his season debut while rehabbing a calf injury, so it's certainly possible that the team is set to rebound once its starting backcourt returns healthy.

But what if this is an opportunity to take a big swing? Chicago's front office has been allergic to making trades, but recent deals landing Giddey for Alex Caruso and Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball could hint at Arturas Karnisovas' willingness to go out of his comfort zone.

Enter the crumbling Dallas Mavericks, who fired general manager Nico Harrison — the architect of the Luka Doncic trade — on Tuesday. At 3-8 with the season slipping away, the Mavericks could be looking at a fire sale to recuperate lost assets and build around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.

Some are already speculating that forward Anthony Davis, the key return chip of the aforementioned Doncic trade, could be on his way out of the Lone Star State. Davis grew up in Englewood, Chicago, and attended Perspectives Charter School. Given Davis' age, contract and injury history, a trade likely wouldn't be too costly for the Bulls to bring Davis back to his hometown.

On his self-titled podcast on Tuesday, The Ringer's Zach Lowe said Davis would be an interesting fit in the Windy City. His hypothetical trade included the Bulls sending White, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, a lottery-protected Portland first-round pick and another Bulls pick to Dallas.

"What I lose is, the way [Vucevic] plays clears the lane for Giddey and Anthony Davis doesn't play like that," Lowe said. "So this Josh Giddey freight train to the rim that's happening is going to be trickier, in that sense. The Bulls have good cap flexibility going forward, almost no matter what. This would almost be a free agency signing for them, in a way. You could sell me on it. It's an identity change mid-stream during a happy time for a franchise that hasn't had many in the last five to eight years, but you could sell me on it."

While the number of outgoing Bulls may seem like a lot to give up for the 32-year-old Davis, White and Vucevic are both on expiring contracts and likely to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. Chicago has also been owed the Trail Blazers' lottery-protected pick since 2022, but it has yet to convey. If Portland does not reach the playoffs by 2028, that first-round pick would then turn into a 2028 second-round pick.

Additionally, Davis is a game-changing talent when healthy. The 10-time All-Star averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game last season before suffering various injuries down the stretch. Davis started 76 games for the Lakers in 2023-24, but has otherwise played 51 games or less in four of the past six seasons.

The 6-foot-10 big man is currently nursing a calf injury and has made just five appearances this fall. He has averaged 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in such games for Dallas.

Davis is playing on the first season of a three-year, $175.3 million contract extension that he signed with the Lakers. He is due $54 million and $58 million over the next two seasons, respectively, and has a $62 million player option for 2027-28.

The financial component is less than ideal, especially considering Davis' injury history. However, the Bulls are in desparate need of a star, and if Dallas' asking price goes down, the ceiling of play that Davis can still offer may be too much for Karnisovas to resist.

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