The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of the NBA’s trade deadline are leaving no stone unturned. In rumors that are ramping up by the minute, it appears the Cavaliers are in the mindset of taking only big swings.
In an appearance on ESPN Cleveland, NBA insider Brian Windhorst discussed that, “The Cavs have talked to the Bucks about Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. The Cavs have talked to the Mavs about Anthony Davis.”
Windhorst also went on to state how the Cavaliers “are trying for this big swing”. Windhorst noted that they “clearly do not believe that this team is good enough…and have decided to start breaking up their core and decided to go big game hunting.”
Well, the Cavaliers appear to be ready to enter the endgame of their core four. Rumors have circulated around the willingness for the Cavaliers to take a big swing, and it appears to be much more aggressive than most thought. With the Cavaliers already circling around acquiring James Harden from the Clippers, it appears there are other moves that may be possible.
Giannis is the crown jewel of the trade deadline this season. It makes all the sense in the world if you are the Cavaliers to touch base on what potential offers would look like. The Cavaliers would obviously need to part with some combination of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, or Lonzo Ball with draft picks. For as attached as the fans are to the Cavaliers’ core four, you can see the logic behind trying to hitch Donovan Mitchell to a top-five player in the NBA regardless of the price.
Anthony Davis’s name being brought up is where things get dicey. Davis, since landing in Dallas, has just been living on the injury report. If the Cavaliers are looking to give up the farm to move the needle, Davis is about as risky a gamble as one can take. If the end goal for the Cavaliers is to reshuffle the deck with more reliable players for the present, Davis is far from the option to choose.
The main thing to take away from this Windy appearance is that the rumors are not smoke. There is a big fire brewing in Cleveland. The Cavs want to compete in what they view is a wide-open Eastern Conference, and they don’t believe they currently have what it takes to pursue a championship in this window.