Whether tentatively or concretely, a handful of teams are connected to Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as his hopeful future employer. Most of the focus is on glamorous contenders — the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. Heading into the summer of 2025, then middling (or mediocre) teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets, and Atlanta Hawks were suggested. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets were considered rational destinations as well.
Cavs In On Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Sweepstakes?
This week, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers joined aforementioned franchises as hypothetical landing spots for Antetokounmpo. In short, half of the league could be checking in what it would take to get Antetokounmpo in their uniform. That includes teams that are typically hesitant to make significant changes to their roster, like the Cavs.
Indeed, one NBA executive told cleveland.com‘s longtime beat reporter Chris Fedor (subscription required): “It’s Giannis. Nothing more needs to be said.”
Many are of the opinion that Cavaliers forward-center Evan Mobley is the key to making a deal for Antetokounmpo.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Mobley is still just 24 years old. He doesn’t have Antetokounmpo’s natural aggression as a scorer, averaging 18.5 points per game or fewer every season of his career. For reference, Antetokounmpo has scored no fewer than 26.9 points per game every season since 2017-18. Nevertheless, Mobley can undoubtedly consistently average over 20+ points if he puts his mind to it. On top of that, he’s under contract through 2029-30, giving Milwaukee a fair amount of runway if they look to build around him.
Getting Around The Second Apron
Cleveland is a second apron team.
As a result, they are unable to aggregate salaries to acquire Antetokounmpo, complicating the logistics of such a deal. Needing to shed just over $22 million to get under the second apron, they’d have to be helped by another team. The Utah Jazz ($10.6 million) and Brooklyn Nets ($15.3 million) are the only teams with cap space. However, there are several teams with sizable trade exceptions. The Boston Celtics ($22.5 million) have the largest one available, a byproduct of the fated Kristaps Porzingis trade.
Lonzo Ball
Hypothetically, Cleveland could ship out Lonzo Ball, who hasn’t found his footing in The Land.
Though owed $10 million in each of the next two seasons, he has a team option on his contract for 2026-27. This effectively makes him an expiring contract. The Jazz, Nets or Celtics may be enticed to make that trade if they’re given a second-round pick. The Miami Heat ($16.8 million), Detroit Pistons ($14.1 million), New Orleans Pelicans ($13.5 million (and $13 million)), Washington Wizards ($13.5 million), Atlanta Hawks ($13.1 million), and Dallas Mavericks ($11 million) also have trade exceptions large enough to absorb his 2025-26 salary.
Max Strus
Moving Ball wouldn’t be enough, as they would still be $12 million over the second apron. Nevertheless, they have other players they can trade. One such option is Max Strus, who’s owed $15.9 million this season.
Similar to Ball, Strus’s time with the Cavaliers hasn’t gone as smoothly as was hoped. He’s also under contract through 2026-27, though there’s no option for the final year of his deal. A veteran movement shooter with respectable though unreliable perimeter defense, he could be somewhat of an attractive addition for a team looking to bolster their backcourt. Again, a second-round pick would still be an appealing sweetener. Yet, the only teams that could attain him without having to send back a player are the Celtics, Nets and Heat.
Jarrett Allen
With Jarrett Allen set to earn $20 million in 2025-26, he may be the most feasible player to trade. It may have an effect on the Cavs’ willingness to include Mobley in a deal for the Greek Freak. Keeping that in mind, Allen is far more useful than Ball or Strus. He’s even talented enough for it to make sense for the Celtics to use their $22.5 million trade exception to bring him in. In fact, he’s so good that rather than Cleveland giving up a second-rounder to Boston for their help, the Celtics might trade one to them.
If the Cavaliers go this route, they’d only need to send out a minimum-salary player to get under the second apron. That player is unlikely to be Thomas Bryant or Larry Nance Jr., who could be their only remaining big men. Instead, it would probably be Chuma Okeke, who has yet to play a game this season. Notably, Okeke is on an expiring $2.5 million contract.
Darius Garland To The Bucks?
Of course, Ball and/or Strus could still be traded. However, instead of being sent to one of the aforementioned teams, they’d be in the Antetokounmpo package. Ultimately, that would mean Cleveland offered Mobley, Ball, and/or Strus (as well as draft capital).
Still, there’s reason to believe the Cavs would prefer to combine Ball and Strus’s salary with Darius Garland‘s instead of Mobley’s. As previously mentioned, trading Allen for cap relief could have an effect on how Mobley’s viewed in Cleveland. It’s one thing to break up a big man duo that’s often dominant. It’s another thing to trade both of your top bigs. Besides that, there have been enough rumors about Garland considering a break-up to take it seriously. That and the team going 16-8 without Garland this season are difficult to ignore.
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