Cavs trade tiers: Which players and picks are untouchable?
Cavs trade tiers: The Untouchable Players
The phrase “untouchable” isn’t literally true, just functionally true. If the Milwaukee Bucks called and offered Giannis Antetokounmpo for Evan Mobley and Kevin Love, the Cavs would say yes immediately; Antetokounmpo represents the very best-case scenario for a player like Mobley. Still, that’s not happening, so in the realm of realistic trades, these two young stars are untouchable.
Mobley blasted out of the gates as a rookie last season, immediately putting his imprint on the defensive side of the ball. His length, speed and instincts on that end allow him to thrive as both a rim protector and a defender out in space. He is more raw on offense, but still showed a solid base of perimeter skills that allow him to play the 4. He is on a superstar trajectory and the Cavs’ next decade of basketball will be built on his slim shoulders.
His co-star for that span of time will almost certainly be Darius Garland, who made his first All-Star team last season in just his third year in the league. The slight point guard leveled up as a passer this past season and capably took on a greater scoring load. His accurate perimeter shot will allow him to play off-ball when and if the Cavs get another capable on-ball scorer as well, which helps unlock team-building options.
Barring the truly unexpected, both of these players are locked in as Cavaliers for years to come.