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\n\t\t\tThe Cavaliers\u2018 concerns about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo would sign an extension in Cleveland will likely keep them out of the trade sweepstakes for the Bucks star, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required).
\nThere has been some speculation that the Cavs might be willing to part with Evan Mobley to acquire Antetokounmpo and maximize their title chances by teaming him with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. However, sources tell Fischer and Stein that Cleveland \u201cshould be regarded as unlikely to factor into the trade chase\u201d for Antetokounmpo.
\nThe authors note that Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman seemed to verify that sentiment as his end-of-season press conference Friday morning when he stated that Mobley is \u201cpart of our future.\u201d Altman sidestepped a specific question about Antetokounmpo, telling reporters, \u201cWe\u2019re not going to speculate on any player outside these walls.\u201d
\nThe report from Fischer and Stein gels with a weekend story from Joe Vardon of the Athletic claiming that Cleveland hasn\u2019t expressed any interest in a Mobley-Antetokounmpo swap.
\nAntetokounmpo will earn $58.5MM next season and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027\/28. The ability to opt out and become an unrestricted free agent next summer gives him a degree of control in choosing his next team. It also makes potential suitors reluctant to part with valuable assets such as Mobley without an assurance that Antetokounmpo plans to stay long-term.
\nFischer reported earlier this month that the Cavaliers might be viewed as a reasonable destination for Antetokounmpo if they encountered playoff disappointment again. The team wound up reaching the Eastern Conference finals, but mostly wasn\u2019t competitive during a four-game sweep by New York.
\nFischer and Stein also state that the Cavs are reluctant to part with Mobley because he\u2019s only 24 and can provide \u201ca legitimate bridge to a successful post-Mitchell future.\u201d They add that team officials haven\u2019t forgotten how difficult it was to rebuild after LeBron James left Cleveland in 2010 and 2018 and they\u2019re hesitant to part with Mobley unless it\u2019s a \u201csure-thing trade.\u201d<\/p>\n