Do the Bulls have any chance of bringing Davis home?

This was an event that seemed inevitable and something the Bulls have been side-eyeing for a long time: All-star center Anthony Davis, a Chicago native, requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, according to a report by ESPN.

It's not surprising because this is Davis' seventh NBA season and he's been to the playoffs twice. And the Pelicans are getting worse instead of better, following up last year's trip to the second round with a 22-28 record as of Monday morning.

In the past, Davis expressed a desire to stay in New Orleans long-term and was probably being honest when he said it, but the lack of team success is bound to bring frustration.

So let's get to the obvious question: Do the Bulls have any chance of bringing Davis home?

Well, Davis' agent Rich Paul told ESPN that Davis wants a chance to win consistently and contend for a championship. So the rebuilding Bulls don't figure to be high on Davis' wish list, if they're even on it at all. Early signs point to the Lakers or Celtics with the best chance to make a deal.

But one factor that could help the Bulls' cause is that New Orleans is in no hurry to work out a trade. Davis is under contract for next season and has the option to become a free agent in the summer of 2020, so it's not likely anything would happen right away - as in before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

The Bulls don't have many attractive assets right now, but could have a big one if they land a high pick in the draft lottery. Under the new anti-tanking lottery format, the worst teams have smaller odds and the league will now draw for the top four picks, not just the top three. So as it stands today, the Bulls' pick could be as low as No. 8.

Next up on the list of Bulls' best assets are Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., two promising big men on rookie-scale contracts. So a trade featuring Markkanen, Carter and a top-5 pick isn't a bad offer for Davis and would likely be the Bulls' only chance to compete.

The Lakers and Celtics will be difficult to beat, though, assuming they join the chase. Adding Davis by trade and Kevin Durant as a free agent seemed to be the Lakers' plan when they signed LeBron James. The Lakers could include Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and others in return.

Boston might be in the best shape, because in addition to a talent-laden roster, the Celtics could conceivably have four first-round picks, two in the top 10, to offer. Besides its own pick, Boston is owed picks from Sacramento (top one protected), Memphis (top eight protected) and the Clippers (top 14 protected).

Any team trading for Davis would prefer assurances he'll re-sign when he becomes a free agent in 2020. And that next contract will be massive, in the neighborhood of $200 million over five years.

Let's say the Bulls did land Davis for Markkanen, Carter and their 2019 pick. They'd have Davis and Zach LaVine to build around, and enough cap space to sign a major free agent.

Tough to say if the Bulls would even pursue this plan, let alone pull it off. If they can land one of the top two picks at the lottery, they might prefer to keep building around Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett.

So far, the rebuild has been a rough road and it might turn out to be a long, bumpy ride before playoff games return to the United Center. The Bulls should at least explore every avenue and if nothing else, they have a hometown advantage with Davis.

Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls

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