An interesting hypothetical came up this offseason that the Cleveland Cavaliers front office and their fans had to chew on. If given the opportunity, would the Cavs trade their young phenom Evan Mobley for Kevin Durant?
They may have had that chance, as the Brooklyn Nets canvassed the league after Kevin Durant requested (demanded?) a trade. If the Cavs had been willing to trade Mobley in such a deal, perhaps Durant would be in the wine and gold this season and Mobley would be the centerpiece of a Nets rebuild.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t trade Evan Mobley for just anyone. Who are the small group of players the Cavs would actually trade their young star for?
Cleveland wasn’t, or at least wasn’t able to give up Mobley plus whatever else the Nets asked for. Eventually, the Nets and Durant calmed things down, and it looks like he will play this season in Brooklyn. Cleveland also managed to navigate things so that none of their young core felt like they were dangled out there in trade talks, something the Boston Celtics have to deal with now with Jaylen Brown.
It does get the wheels turning, however. If not Kevin Durant, who would the Cavs trade Evan Mobley for? Perhaps the answer is “no one” as many of you just shouted at your screens, but theoretically only a very small handful of players are truly “untouchable.” If the Kansas City Chiefs in football called up the Buffalo Bills and offered Patrick Mahomes for Josh Allen, who says no?
Let’s play out the exercise, then. How many players in the NBA would the Cavs be willing to trade Evan Mobley for? Let’s assume that every player outside the “Top 50” or so is immediately off the table. How far into the league’s inner circle do we go before landing on a player the Cavs would say yes to?