New Giannis Trade Rumors Reveal Team 'Unlikely' to Pursue Bucks Star amid Growing Buzz

While running it back doesn't look like an advisable strategy for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2026-27, they may bypass what promises to be the NBA's biggest trade sweepstakes this summer.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Friday that "Cavaliers should be regarded as unlikely to factor into the trade chase" for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I'm not going to speculate on any players outside these walls," Cavs general manager Koby Altman told reporters on Friday. "All I can tell you is, since Evan's been here, we've had the third-best record in the league for five years. Now, we don't have a championship to show for that yet, right? Boston and Denver, the other two ahead of us, they have a championship to show for that, but all Evan has done is impact winning. He's been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He's a huge part of what we do."

Stein and Fischer cited Antetokounmpo's contract as a complicating factor for Cleveland, as it will be for other prospective suitors. He can opt out and become a free agent in 2027.

The Cavs got Donovan Mitchell to eventually re-sign following his trade from the Utah Jazz, but Giannis simply a different kind of star. Pretty much every team would write him a blank check if he were to hit the open market.

Stein and Fischer also pointed out how Cleveland considers forward Evan Mobley, an obvious inclusion in any trade formula for Antetokounmpo, to be "a legitimate bridge to a successful post-Mitchell future" if it comes to that.

"The Cavaliers, remembering how hard life was after [LeBron] James walked away from the franchise — twice — are obviously reluctant to surrender Mobley and the staying power he is projected to represent unless it's a sure-thing trade," the insiders said.

Mobley was the Defensive Player of the Year and an All-NBA honoree in 2024-25. This season, he put up similar numbers (18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks) in 65 appearances.

Most pertinent for the Cavaliers, he only turns 25 in June and is signed through 2030. He's somebody you can either rebuild around or trade down the road for valuable draft capital and younger stars if your championship window slams shut.

The nature of Cleveland's sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals raises some tough questions. The Cavs threw away a 22-point lead in Game 1 against the New York Knicks, and they never seemed to mentally recover. Midway through a 37-point loss in Game 4 on their home floor, they totally checked out.

Even team governor Dan Gilbert acknowledged the team is "nowhere near where we need to be."

Something on the scale of a Giannis trade is a natural reaction to what transpired in the conference finals. Nobody will be convinced a full season of James Harden is what the Cavaliers need to be an NBA champion.

The dilemma for the front office is that the long-term ramifications of pursuing Antetokounmpo might outweigh the short-term benefits. Anything short of winning the 2027 Finals would potentially leave you in a brutal spot when Antetokounmpo and Mitchell could both walk.

The Knicks could be a useful guide. They didn't trade any of their big stars and emphasized continuity in the wake of their 2025 conference finals exit. The result is their first Finals trip since 1999.

Maybe marginal upgrades and some more improvement from Mobley is all Cleveland needs to take the next step.