The biggest story in the NBA right now is what will happen with Giannis Antetokounmpo and whether he will be traded by the NBA Trade Deadline. There are a few options for Antetokounmpo to end up with teams like the Timberwolves, the Knicks, the 76ers, the Warriors, and the Bulls. However, another outside-the-box option could be the Cavaliers, despite little buzz around them.
According to ClutchPoints' own NBA insider, Brett Siegel, a Cavaliers trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo is not out of the question. The issue Siegel points out is that the Cavaliers are a second-tier team and would have to make multiple moves to get out of that, including moving on from assets and players.
Siegel specifically said, “The Cavs are a second apron team. It would take a lot for them to not only get out of the second apron right now or in the summer, but also put together a package for Giannis. Especially because they don’t have a lot of draft assets after trading for Donovan Mitchell and others, but there is a feasible path there. Because they still want to trade Lonzo Ball before the trade deadline to open up more playing time for Craig Porter Jr., and obviously, Lonzo’s salary slot gets them moving closer to getting out of that second apron.”
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The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade could affect everything else in the league. If Antetokounmpo ends up being traded, then it will affect Ja Morant, Domantas Sabonis, and Anthony Davis, and whether they end up being traded in the first place, while also affecting where they might end up.
It is worth noting that for the Cavaliers to pursue Antetokounmpo, they would have to trade away Lonzo Ball. The Bucks will also want draft capital and potentially a player of Evan Mobley's caliber. However, Cleveland has shown no interest in trading Mobley.
Unless Cleveland makes some more moves following their three-team trade, the other teams gaining momentum for Giannis are the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves.