When the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the midst of their aggressive makeover at the trade deadline, fans started dreaming big. Specifically, some of those people were daydreaming for a Giannis-sized gift to arrive at the door. It did not happen then, but it actually could in the future.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne dropped an article discussing the complications for a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the summer. In it, the Cavaliers came up in a way that should immediately excite the hopeful in Cleveland.
Shelburne wrote: "The players the [Milwaukee] Bucks did seem interested in were younger building blocks such as VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers or Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources said."
This plays right into the argument Cavaliers fans had about the Giannis sweepstakes. How many other teams are going to offer a package better than one that features Mobley at the forefront? If the Cavaliers fall short in the playoffs, Antetokounmpo could offer an excellent way to get over the top.
Cavaliers' trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo should be a juicy one
Mobley would be the perfect type of player to headline a Giannis trade return for the Bucks. There is multiple reasons for this.
For one, Mobley only being 24 years old and secured on a contract that will have four more years on it after this season gives Milwaukee a building block for the future. The Bucks could make him their number one option and see if they could unlock what the Cavaliers have never been fully capable of.
Secondly, not only does Mobley have long-term viability, but it works out in the short-term too. The Cavaliers big man has already proven to be very capable with a Defensive Player of the Year under his belt. The floor has clearly shown itself and it is a reliable one.
Building around Mobley and retooling the rest of the roster should allow some hopes of at least remaining a Play-In team. For a Bucks franchise that has very little control over their future draft capital, that matters.
Amid all of this, the Cavaliers could land themselves the first top-five player they have had since a peak of his powers version of LeBron James. Antetokounmpo is getting older, but Giannis still has plenty left in the tank to help Cleveland push for a title.
It works out for him, too, considering how much the Greek Freak always talks about wanting to be known as a winner. The quiet reality there is Antetokounmpo has not won much in a while. Neither have the Cavaliers. That is where Cleveland will hope the two sides can help each other.