For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans have hoped that Evan Mobley would turn the corner and become the two-way superstar everyone knows he's capable of being. Five full seasons later, that hasn't happened yet.
Of course, Mobley has established himself as one of the prime defensive players in the game. He's a former Defensive Player of the Year winner who can guard most big men and hold his own on the perimeter, but he hasn't taken that offensive leap yet, and it may never happen.
That's why this front office should strongly consider Morris Bankston's latest proposal from Pippen Ain't Easy. He thinks that, if the Chicago Bulls were ever to consider moving on from Matas Buzelis, the Cavs should send Mobley packing to the Windy City. Truth be told, it makes perfect sense.
A Matas Buzelis-Evan Mobley trade would be a big win for the Cavaliers
"Imagine a scenario similar to when the Minnesota Timberwolves chose to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks to avoid the financial repercussions of Towns’ four-year, $220 million designated veteran extension that kicked in at the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, coupled with hitting a playoff ceiling of the NBA Western Conference Finals in the 2024 NBA playoffs," wrote Bankston.
While Baknston's reasoning makes perfect sense here, there are more reasons to pull the trigger here than just money. As great a player as Mobley is, he looks closer to a finished product than Buzelis, who's only been in the league for a couple of years.
There's no reason to believe the Bulls would ever consider moving him, but maybe he's not as good a fit alongside Caleb Wilson. The idea of pairing Wilson and Mobley as a jumbo frontcourt of two long and switchable defenders, however, might be too tempting for Bryson Graham to pass on.
Maybe the Bulls are ahead of schedule and want to add a defensive stalwart to the mix. That would give the Cavaliers an easy out of Mobley's contract, some major financial relief, and a potential building block to pair with Donovan Mitchell for years to come.
Buzelis is already an elite driver and a perennial threat on lob passes, and has made big strides as a shot-blocker. He'd be a perfect fit next to Peyton Watson, giving the Cavs two high-energy, high-flying forwards, while also providing better floor spacing.
Maybe Watson and Mobley are a bit redundant. Mobley doesn't want to, and shouldn't have to, play the five, and while the defense should be better this season, they may struggle to keep up on offense as currently constructed.
Of course, he also has some holes in his game. While advertised as a point forward, he must still make better decisions and avoid head-scratching turnovers, and the defensive intensity goes on and off, though the potential is most definitely there.
This isn't to say the Cavs should try to get rid of Mobley or actively shop him. But if the right opportunity pops up, and a promising potential star like Buzelis becomes available, this might be too good a deal to pass on, especially with Watson already in town.
Also, even if the Cavs will also have to pay Buzelis eventually, this deal would put them in a better financial position for years to come. The dreaded second apron is just right there, and it could lead to some serious constraints, like that frozen 2033 first-round pick.
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