The former Cleveland Cavaliers player explains why Giannis Antetocomo is not the right player for his team.
NBA rumors are buzzing with the prospect that Giannis Antetokounmpo could be made available for trade following the Milwaukee Bucks playoff exit.
Despite playing at the elite level, Antetokounmpo has seen little success since the 2021 NBA Championship run.
Given that Giannis is still at the height of his career, many NBA teams are expected to line up to trade with him if he becomes available in the offseason.
Among the next potential destinations for Antetokounmpo, the Cleveland Cavaliers are also proposed as suitors.
The main reason behind it is the overwhelming results of the Cavs with the current player’s core. Despite holding the number one seed at the Eastern Conference, it was clear at the exit of the Cavs’ second round this postseason.
In any trade scenario, the Cavaliers have to give up on Evan Mobley, but former teammate Georges Nian is strictly against it.
“I’m over there (the Cavaliers) and the way they see Evan Mobley there, and I don’t think that’s something the Cavaliers are interested in,” Nian said.
When asked if the Cavs would stay firmly in their decision to keep Mobley for Giannis too? Nian had an incredible answer.
“I think they see Evan Mobley as the kind of younger version of him, and if he could grow into it, it would have scratched the surface to some extent.
Niang also said that Mobley is 23 years old, a major reason why Cavaliers are expected to hesitate to include him in Antetokounmpo’s trade.
But here it is, Giannis was a much better player at 23 years old than Mobley. In the context, the Greek freak averaged 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game at the age of 23. He was also earning his second NBA All-Star appearance in his career.
Meanwhile, Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season, earning his first NBA All-Star appearance of his career.
Mobley’s rebounds and assists are somewhat similar to Giannis, but the Bucks star was a much better scorer at the time.
Certainly, when Cavs promoted Mobley as the No. 1 option in attack, he could score over 20.0 points per game. But for that to happen, the franchise will have to make another tough decision about Donovan Mitchell, the current top option of the attack.