Los Angeles Lakers-Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors haven't felt very grounded of late, not with the Lakers seen as the most likely landing spot for LeBron James this summer, and not with LA also happy with its Luka Doncic-Austin Reaves backcourt. But for Lakers fans still holding out for a potential surprise twist in the Lakers-Giannis story, the latest Cleveland Cavaliers intel doesn't hurt.
The Cavs, up until this week, were considered a decent threat to sign Giannis, considering they are totally in win-now mode (after trading for James Harden and desiring to re-sign him), and considering they have a 24-year-old Defensive Player of the Year in Evan Mobley to tempt Milwaukee with in theoretical Giannis discussions.
But the latest info from NBA insider Marc Stein suggests that the Cavaliers aren't interested in sending Mobley out in a trade for Antetokounmpo.
"Sources say that the Cavaliers should be regarded as unlikely to factor into the trade chase for Antetokounmpo this summer … no matter how high Evan Mobley ranks on the Bucks' wish list for trade returns in a theoretical Giannis deal," Stein wrote this week (subscription required).
Cavaliers aren't turned on by the idea of trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo
You can't really blame the Cavs for having reservations about the idea of giving up a young Mobley for an aging Giannis, especially considering Antetokounmpo only has one guaranteed year left on his contract, whereas Mobley has four. Imagine if the Cavs traded Mobley for Giannis and then watched as Antetokounmpo signed with someone else next offseason! That would be a complete disaster.
The Cavaliers happen to like their current timeline, which -- by having Mobley locked up for the long haul -- protects against a sharp drop-off in competive relevance once Donovan Mitchell starts to decline. By trading Mobley for Giannis, Cleveland would be leaning almost too far into a win-now mindset, with absolutely no insurance set up for the future. There are plenty of arguments to be had that acquiring Giannis would give Cleveland its best chance to win a championship next season, but the Cavs aren't operating as if the world is going to end after 2026-27.
Cavs removing themselves from Giannis sweepstakes makes him a more attainable target for everyone else
Mobley would have been the best asset available to the Bucks for Giannis across the league. If the Cavs truly are out of the Giannis sweepstakes, everyone else pursuing Antetokounmpo just got a little boost. If that includes the Lakers, so be it. Maybe they haven't fully ruled out the possibility of parting with Reaves via sign-and-trade or even (gasp) not bringing back LeBron.
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