The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a sluggish start to their 2025-26 season compared to their previously dominant regular seasons.
Cleveland was the preseason favorite to come out of the East, but they’re 13-10 and currently sit in the eighth seed.
It may be time for the Cavs to shake things up, considering their playoff failures in years past.
Lucky for them, a bona fide superstar may be on the outs with his current team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks appear to be headed towards a divorce, and Cleveland may be one of the only teams with a young player attractive enough to get a deal over the finish line.
Zach Lowe’s Evan Mobley-Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Idea
In a recent episode of the Ringer’s Zach Lowe Show, the titular host, Zach Lowe, floated the idea that the Cleveland Cavaliers could use reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley in a trade for Antetokounmpo.
“The team (Cavaliers) has not been as good as they hoped. Now, they’ve had a ton of health issues, even beyond Garland…and Mobley has not yet made the leap and I’ve been a massive Mobley optimist, I think he’s already a very good player,” Lowe told guest Kirk Goldsberry.
“I think the Mobley as a centerpiece of a Giannis deal discussion is much, much, more interesting to me from the Cleveland perspective than it was just a couple of months ago.”
Of course, a trade isn’t as simple as just swapping the two Defensive Player of the Year winners; Cleveland would have to add much more to their side to make it work.
But the idea of the Cavaliers softening their stance on Mobley, who was once considered untouchable in trade discussions, is interesting.
The former USC product is now in his fifth NBA season and seems to have hit somewhat of a plateau.
He’s averaging roughly the same number of points as last season, and his shooting splits are identical as well.
Swapping Mobley out for a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber would instantly increase the ceiling on the Cavaliers’ championship odds and create a lethal All-NBA duo with Donovan Mitchell.
Would the Bucks Take Evan Mobley in a Giannis Antetokounmpo Deal?
Maybe Mobley would have an easier time developing his offensive game if he were playing for a team with lower expectations than the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In a hypothetical trade where he’s sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for the Greek Freak, that’s exactly the sort of situation he would be in.
As a young ascending player, he may be the most attractive option for the Bucks to acquire in any scenario.
Not to mention, Cleveland has some draft capital that Milwaukee could be interested in.
“I think the single best asset the Bucks could get is that draft pick from the Hawks,” Lowe continued.
“Is Mobley the single best player that’s gonna be mentioned in all of our fake trades? I don’t know that that’s true, but he’s up there, and he’s young.”
While the full trade would need to be fleshed out further, starting the discussion with Mobley may interest the Bucks enough to engage in conversations.
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