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The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers stick out as two Eastern Conference teams that did not advance as far as they would have liked in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The Bucks, led by none other than superstar big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, lost to the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The No. 1-seeded Cavaliers also saw their time in the playoffs come to a close at the hands of the Pacers, as they lost to Indiana in decisive fashion in the second round.
NBA agents and front offices have allegedly discussed a hypothetical trade involving All-Star big men on the Cavaliers and Bucks. Per Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix, the hypothetical deal would send Antetokounmpo to the Cavaliers and big man Evan Mobley to the Bucks.
Assuming the Cavaliers wouldn’t have to give up a lot of assets outside of Mobley in return for Antetokounmpo, acquiring the Greek native maybe would be exactly what the doctor ordered to get the Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals.
While none of Cleveland’s current core four has tasted the conference finals during their pro careers, Antetokounmpo knows what it takes to reach the league’s mountaintop. He helped the Bucks win an NBA title in 2021, and he was named Finals MVP that year for his play versus the Phoenix Suns in the championship series.
Antetokounmpo is a clear upgrade over Mobley at this juncture as well. The two-time league MVP averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game for the Bucks in the 2024-25 regular season.
Conversely, Mobley would give the Bucks a player to build their future around for the long haul. Mobley displayed meteoric growth in his fourth NBA season, as he was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and was also awarded the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
For as great and impactful as Mobley already is, he might have another level to get to as a player, as he’s just 23 years old. Mobley will turn 24 in less than a month.
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