Evan Mobley could be the key to the Cavs’ breakthrough Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Cleveland Cavaliers decision to trade Darius Garland and the second-round pick for James Harden, who is 10 years older than Garland, speaks volumes: they believe the time to win is now. Under the current CBA, the penalties for staying in the second apron are quite punitive, and Cavs brass are rumored to be giving the team two years to try to get over the hump.
To that end, The Cavs can end up being even more aggressive on the trade market — they somehow found themselves in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpowho remains a likely trade candidate amid Milwaukee Bucks‘ bleak short-term future.
Trading Garland, however, is a completely different matter compared to what it would take to land Antetokounmpo, with the Bucks likely to demand all the capital in the world in addition to the 24-year-old and reigning DPOI Evan Mobley.
While there are no concrete indications that the Cavs might be willing to trade Mobley for Antetokounmpo, be open if possible, Cleveland would be at the top of the list of suitors for the Bucks star.
“What if they offered Evan Mobley, their 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 first-round trade. That package is probably better than anything you could find on the market because Evan Mobley on the market right now would get you at least three, maybe even four first-round picks,” ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Silugel said on the Brett Silugel Show.
2/4/26 — Anthony Davis to Wizards? Giannis next? Latest NBA data from @TomerAzarli & @BrettSiegelNBA https://t.co/k5u711kP4Z
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2026
The Cavs face significant hurdles in any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
To begin with, even with Pilgrims lost a lot of wages with their work these few days they stay above the other apron. This means that they can only acquire players who earn the same or less money than their current players, and cannot aggregate players to bring in someone who earns more.
A true Mobley replacement for Antetokounmpo is impossible because of this. They first have to let go of Max Struss to do that, but it’s not entirely clear if the Cavs even have the means to terminate his contract.
2026-02-05 04:25:00
