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The Cleveland Cavaliers were among the active franchises during the 2025-26 trade season.
On Feb. 4, the 2016 NBA champions elected to trade Darius Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden.
However, Cleveland was reportedly in the market for a different superstar before acquiring Harden, as the Stein Line’s Jake Fischer noted that the Cavaliers explored a trade for Milwaukee Bucks phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“There's another Eastern Conference contender, however, that folks around the league are looking at as a potential Antetokounmpo landing spot,” Fischer wrote Thursday.
“Cleveland. “The Cavaliers, league sources say, contacted the Bucks about Giannis before the deadline as well … and were told it would take Evan Mobley and all of Cleveland's available draft capital to get it done.”
“That's a trade construction that presumably would have Mobley stans scoffing, but it's a move that no shortage of rival executives I've discussed it with say they would make.”
A trade for Antetokounmpo that sounds pretty good for the Cavaliers right about now (obviously, they’d have to wait until the offseason to complete one).
Cleveland is in a 2-0 Eastern Conference Semifinals hole after failing to steal a game on the road vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Considering Mobley has been solid, but far from a needle-mover for the Cavaliers so far in the series, the Cavaliers may feel tempted to swap him for Antetokounmpo if things play out as expected (the Pistons advance to the Eastern Conference Finals).
While not the floor-spacer that Mobley has proven he’s capable of being (he shot 37% from three in 2023-24 and 2024-25), Antetokounmpo is a far more daunting presence on both ends of the floor and could prove to be the missing piece for Cleveland.
Right now, though, Cleveland's focus should be on overcoming an early second-round postseason deficit.
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