Cavs Reportedly Eyed Giannis, Anthony Davis Trades Before James Harden Rumors Leaked

The Cleveland Cavaliers were reportedly linked to Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dallas Mavericks big Anthony Davis before emerging as a potential landing spot for Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there was "league-wide chatter" about the Cavs making a play for a star player in a blockbuster trade even before the Harden rumors emerged, and Giannis was among the players viewed as a potential target.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst added the Cavs have talked to the Mavs about Anthony Davis, though he cautioned he doesn't think it's "likely" they will be able to land either player.

On Monday, SI.com's Chris Mannix reported that the Cavaliers and Clippers had engaged in "advanced discussions" regarding a trade that would send Harden to Cleveland in exchange for guard Darius Garland.

Last week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that multiple teams made the Bucks "aggressive offers" for Giannis, and they were "starting to listen" leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Charania also named the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and New York Knicks as the most "serious suitors" for Antetokounmpo.

Much like Giannis has been the subject of trade rumors since the offseason, Davis' name has been brought up often in trade rumors throughout the 2025-26 regular season.

Similar to the 18-29 Bucks being outside the playoff picture currently, the 19-30 Mavs are as well.

Charania reported last month that the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors were among the teams with interest in Davis, but with Davis being on the shelf with a hand injury, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported at the time that "several" NBA executives expected the Mavs to keep AD until the offseason "unless the Mavericks essentially want to salary dump him."

At 30-21, the Cavs are fifth in the Eastern Conference, which is a bit of a disappointment after finishing with the best record in the East last season.

However, Cleveland has won eight of its past 10 games and appears to be re-establishing itself as a legitimate contender to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

If the Cavs are going to make a big move for a marquee player, it would likely require them to move out a core player, which is why Garland's name has been included in the Harden rumors.

Per Amick, league sources have also said the Cavs have explored the possibility of trading center Jarrett Allen to create salary cap flexibility, as he is set to make a total of $90.7 million over the next three seasons.

Allen is a quality player, as the one-time All-Star is averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, but a player like Giannis would represent a huge upgrade.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game this season, and he is a 10-time All-Star, two-time NBA MVP and one-time NBA Finals MVP.

Davis is also a 10-time All-Star averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game this season.

However, Giannis is out with a calf injury and Davis is out with a hand ailment currently, so it is fair to wonder if the Cavs would take a chance by trading away an important player to get one of them in the midst of a playoff race.

Harden may be a safer and more realistic option since he is healthy, but Giannis is undoubtedly the biggest impact player among them when he is on the court.