After winning Defensive Player of the Year and earning All-NBA second team honors last year, Evan Mobley looked prime for another leap this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Instead, he had a bit of a slow start to the season, which caused most people to sour on him. When the Cavs were teetering just above .500 at the end of December, Mobley found himself in trade rumors, but Cleveland never truly considered moving him.
Now, the Cavs are in the midst of an important playoff run, with a conference finals run looking realistic. Cleveland has to at least make it to that run to justify keeping their current team. Mobley not only needs to help them get there, but also play at a high level to quiet down this trade rumor.
Mobley needs a big playoff run to shut down any rumors of a Giannis Antetokounmpo swap
According to Jake Fischer, the Cavs contacted the Bucks about a potential Antetokounmpo trade at the deadline. However, Milwaukee wanted Mobley and all of Cleveland’s remaining draft picks.
Antetokounmpo will be at the center of offseason trade chatter once again and will have no shortage of suitors. Teams that fall short in the playoffs this year will likely pursue the former MVP, with the Cavs being one of them
During the Donovan Mitchell era, Cleveland has not been past the second round. This year was the first one in which they went all-in, trading Darius Garland for James Harden, and acquiring Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. They have the NBA’s most expensive roster and are in a wide-open East.
If they can’t win with this version of the team, then that says a lot about the roster. If Mobley falters, then the Cavs could trade him for more win-now help.
Fortunately for Mobley, he has had a strong postseason so far. He’s averaging 18 points per game, nine rebounds, and four assists, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
He has looked aggressive on both ends of the floor and on nights where he dominates, the Cavs’ chances of winning increase exponentially, a fact that head coach Kenny Atkinson has acknowledged.
The bottom line is Mobley needs to continue playing at this level if he wants to quiet down the Antetokounmpo trade noise. The time is now for the young forward to continue rising and improving, as Cleveland’s odds of a deep run depend on it.
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