The Cleveland Cavs have some work to do this offseason after getting swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the New York Knicks last week. While Cleveland did make it further than they ever have in the post-LeBron James era, it still didn’t exactly feel like a successful year, considering the way things ended.
One proposal that many pundits and fans have made is that the Cavs trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, a deal that would almost certainly involve Cavs big man Evan Mobley as its centerpiece. However, recent reporting from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com has dumped cold water on those rumors.
“The Cavs love Mobley, they believe in him and there are multiple members of the Cleveland brain trust that would be vehemently against a Giannis-Mobley swap,” reported Fedor, per RealGM.
Mobley has long been heralded as one of the most intriguing young players in the NBA, and he has already accomplished some impressive feats in his career, including winning the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, for years, fans have projected a potential superstar leap onto the former lottery pick, and thus far, it hasn’t materialized, as Mobley is still inconsistent with his aggression in the halfcourt and lacks the perimeter shooting ability to truly keep defenses off balance. This year, Mobley’s three-point and free throw numbers cratered down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs, which certainly played a role in the Cavs’ struggles to get out of both the first and second rounds.
While a Giannis trade doesn’t seem to be the team’s preferred path forward, the Knicks series made it clear that something must be done to this roster in order to get the Cavs into legit contention.