INDEPENDENCE — It’ll likely remain one of the biggest, most tantalizing rumors connected to this NBA offseason — the question is if the Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks both see it as the right fit.
Trade rumors involving Cavs forward Evan Mobley and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo have been swirling since the last trade deadline. That’s almost sure to continue this summer until one or the other is moved, or it is declared outright that that specific trade won’t be happening.
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Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman didn’t go that far May 29, when he spoke with reporters at the team’s practice facility for the first time since Cleveland was swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the New York Knicks, but he did seem to indicate the team is more than happy to move forward with Mobley.
“I’m not going to speculate on any players outside these walls,” said Altman, who also went into detail on why the franchise is comfortable with the idea of Donovan Mitchell being the No. 1 option. “All I can tell you is, since Evan’s been here, we’ve had the third-best record in the league for five years. Now, we don’t have a championship to show for that, but all Evan has done is impact winning.
“He’s been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He’s a huge part of what we do.”
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) warms up before game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
(Ken Blaze, Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) warms up before game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
(Ken Blaze, Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown speaks to media after game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
(Scott Galvin, Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson speaks with media before game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
(David Richard, David Richard-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson speaks with media before game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
(David Richard, David Richard-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A detailed view of shirts provided for fans before game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
(Ken Blaze, Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson ponders a question during a pregame press conference before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena, May 25, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson takes questions during a pregame press conference before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena, May 25, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal)
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Cavs vs. Knicks, Game 4 photos
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson takes questions during a pregame press conference before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena, May 25, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Jeff Lange, Akron Beacon Journal)Evan Mobley trade rumors
The Cavs reached the conference finals for the first time since 2018 and the first time without LeBron James on the roster since 1992. And yet, getting swept so thoroughly by the Knicks re-introduced major questions about whether if, and how so, the Cavs can or should retool the roster this summer.
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The biggest possible splash, if they wanted to go that route, would be to move Mobley for Antetokounmpo, one of the top five players in the league right now. But the Cavs have viewed Mobley in nearly an impossibly high light for years, and his recent playoff performances did nothing to sway that enthusiasm.
Altman certainly made it sound as if a trade involving Mobley this summer is unlikely, with the forward remaining a central piece to Cleveland’s short- and long-term plans. For the Bucks, a swap for Mobley is likely their best-case scenario for an Antotokunmpo trade, but Cleveland might be the first to walk away from the deal.
Altman referred to Mobley as “consistency our best player through the playoffs.” For now, it looks like other avenues to re-tool the roster, separate from Mobley, are more on the Cavs’ radar.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs exec Koby Altman talks Evan Mobley as Giannis trade rumors linger