Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans if they would be in favor of trading Evan Mobley for Giannis Antetokounmpo after it was reported last Friday that Mobley was the type of player the Milwaukee Bucks would want in return for a possible Giannis deal.
The comment section for the survey prompt was pretty contentious. It isn’t surprising that the survey results were split pretty evenly, with the majority just barely deciding that they would trade Mobley for Giannis.
It’s easy to see why the vote was so split.
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Even though Antetokounmpo is the better player, there are real concerns about trading for him. For starters, he’s going to be 32 next postseason and has had issues with finishing seasons the last few years due to health. Additionally, there’s uncertainty about his contract with next season effectively being the final year of his deal. And, there’s no guarantee Giannis’s game would fit perfectly alongside Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
However, it’s also tough to pass up on someone who is still playing at an MVP-caliber level when he is on the court. Even if you’re a strong believer in Mobley’s upside, it’s unlikely that he ever reaches Antetokounmpo’s current skill level.
Whether or not the Cavs entertain this possibility will likely depend on how the postseason goes. If they flame out early in the playoffs again, it’s easy to envision a scenario in which they aggressively look to upgrade this current group. After all, they did just trade Darius Garland for a 36-year old. Conversely, if things go well in the playoffs, you can easily see them trying to run things back with this core.
As it stands, the Cavs still have a good chance of making noise in the postseason. FanDuel Sportsbook currently gives the Cavs the second-best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +280 behind only the Boston Celtics (+180). The Cavs are tied with the Denver Nuggets for the fourth-best odds to win the title at +1000.
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