Hello, everyone. The NBA trade deadline is days away. That means we\u2019re going to be covering every rumor, no matter how obscure, for the rest of the week.<\/p>\n
Today, I want to unpack the pros and cons of the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> hypothetically trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering how or if this type of move is possible, I\u2019d suggest reading Jackson\u2019s breakdown<\/a> from yesterday. To cut to the chase, here are the three deals he included:<\/p>\n Cavs trade: Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, 2030 first-round pick swap, \u201831 first-round pick, \u201832 first-round pick swapBucks trade: AntetokounmpoCavs trade: Garland, Allen, Jaylon Tyson, \u201830 first-round pick swap, \u201832 first-round pick swapBucks trade: AntetokounmpoCavs trade: Evan Mobley, Max Strus, \u201830 first-round pick swap, \u201832 first-round pick swapBucks trade: Antetokounmpo<\/p>\n With those offers in mind, let\u2019s get into the nuance of making a move this drastic.<\/p>\n The best player in the Eastern Conference would play for Cleveland. That\u2019s pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n Cavs fans know better than anyone that sometimes simply having the best player on the floor is enough to win you a game, series, or even the championship. Giannis might not be as dominant as LeBron James was, but in a wide-open Eastern Conference, one could assume that all he needs is a decent supporting cast to trample his way back to the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n Cleveland would have a stronger supporting cast than Milwaukee, no matter which deal they go with. Antetokounmpo\u2019s star power would either be flanked by a combination of Mitchell and Mobley\u2014or Mitchell, Allen, and Garland. Either way, that\u2019s a minimum of three All-Star caliber players in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n The rest of the rotation would still be strong, too. The Cavs would be keeping Sam Merrill (and\/or Max Strus), Keon Ellis, Dean Wade, and Dennis Schroder. I\u2019d imagine they fight tooth and nail to keep Tyson, as well. I actually wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Tyson was considered untouchable. He\u2019s the type of player you don\u2019t give up so easily.<\/p>\n All of this to say, Cleveland gets an MVP and bona fide superstar in Antetokounmpo. A player who is capable of elevating his performance in the playoffs and meeting all their needs for size and shot creation. You can argue that Giannis is enough to make up for the loss of Allen and Garland on his own. And, he might be better currently than Mobley ever will be.<\/p>\n Circling back to my first point, the Cavs wouldn\u2019t just be getting the best player in the deal; they\u2019d be gaining the best player in the conference. That\u2019s historically a good sign.<\/p>\n Con: A few Cautionary Tales<\/p>\n Big swings can lead to embarrassing misses. We haven\u2019t seen a team win a championship after making a homerun swing since the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> won with Anthony Davis in the 2020 Bubble.<\/p>\n Seriously, those massive \u201call-in\u201d moves haven\u2019t been paying off for anyone else.<\/p>\n The Oklahoma City Thunder built their championship roster from the ground up with smart drafting and small moves on the margins. The Boston Celtics<\/a> did the same, tinkering with trades for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, but never selling the farm or letting go of the J\u2019s.<\/p>\n The Denver Nuggets followed the same formula. They didn\u2019t panic and trade Jamal Murray. Instead, they gave that group enough time to grow together, while making ancillary moves to improve the supporting cast until they finally broke through in 2023.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the 2021 Bucks, who kept their group together despite multiple failures before winning the title over the Phoenix Suns<\/a>. It wasn\u2019t until the Bucks gave up on that core (maybe justifiably) that everything truly collapsed.<\/p>\n Now think of the teams that have taken big swings during this same stretch.<\/p>\n