How many players would the Cavs trade Evan Mobley for?
How many players would Cavs trade Evan Mobley for? The superstars
Finally, we reach the inner circle. It’s possible but highly unlikely to win a title in the NBA without a top-10 player in the league, and most of the time you need a top-5 player. The upside and youth of Evan Mobley is such that the Cavs haven’t been willing to trade him for anyone outside of this inner circle, because he has the upside to join this inner circle himself one day.
Of the top 10 players in the league, we eliminated those players who are late enough into their careers for a Mobley trade not to make sense for the Cavs’ timeline. Jimmy Butler (10th on my list), Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Kevin Durant fall into that category.
That leaves six players who are capable of being the best player on a title team, have two-way impact, are young enough to compete for a long time and would instantly make the Cavs a contender. That list is: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum. Embiid and Tatum are at the edge of this inner circle, and Curry is the oldest, but all six qualify in this group.
This is the group that the Cavaliers should, and likely would, trade Evan Mobley for. At this poitn their realized potential outweighs the possibility of growth for Mobley. If everything comes together for him he likely lands at the level of these players; only in the very slimmest of futures does he become something greater.
There’s a spectrum here as well; the Cavs have to have a long conversation about trading for Embiid, because of his injury history and the presence of Jarrett Allen on the roster. They likewise talk long and hard about Curry, because of both Darius Garland and his age. On the other hand, even as much as the Cavs surely love Mobley, they would go sprinting to the bank if they were offered Giannis Antetokounmpo for Mobley.
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This exercise was meant to illustrate just how valuable Evan Mobley is as a prosepct and what that means for his trade value around the league. It’s not likely that Mobley becomes a top-tier superstar, but it’s possible, and that potential is one of the most valuable commodities in the league.
Verdict: Cas would trade Mobley for just six players