Bucks wanted reigning Defensive Player of the Year from Cavaliers in trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo

If the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to land Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo prior to the trade deadline, they would have had to part with reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Mobley was a player that the Bucks were interested in as a potential return for Antetokounmpo, along with Philadelphia 76ers rookie stud V.J. Edgecombe.

“Multiple sources across the league said the Bucks' asking price was enormous, with an executive from a third team describing the Bucks' process as 'gauging the market' and their price as 'all our draft picks and good young players,'” Shelburne wrote.

“The players the Bucks did seem interested in were younger building blocks such as VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said.”

This is an interesting piece of reporting, because the story isn’t over. By failing to trade Antetokounmpo prior to the deadline, the Bucks simply kicked the can down the road, as opposed to resolving anything.

Trade talks involving Antetokounmpo could intensify again over the offseason, and now the Cavs know what it might take to land the two-time NBA MVP.

The next couple months could be extremely important for Cleveland’s potential pursuit of Antetokounmpo. If they make a deep playoff run, they might not want to shake things up too much. But, if they fall short again in postseason play, they could look to shake up the roster by adding a talent like Antetokounmpo.

Obviously the Cavs like Mobley and wouldn’t want to trade him, but attractive assets need to be parted with in order to land a talent like Antetokounmpo.

So, keep an eye on Cleveland in the coming weeks, because how they fare could go a long way towards determining their interest level in a blockbuster trade. 

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