Cavaliers Urged to Consider Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Pursuit

Following a historic 64-win season that gave the Cavaliers the top seed in the East, Cleveland has its back against the wall. The Indiana Pacers lead the Cavs, three games to one, in the second round of the NBA Playoffs and need just one more win to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Injuries to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De'Andre Hunter have derailed Cleveland's championship hopes, and if the Cavs are eliminated in the second round for the second consecutive year, some believe the team could look to make significant roster changes in the offseason.

That includes 92.3 The Fan's Ken Carman, who speculated Monday that Cleveland could attempt to trade for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"We are one game away from being off to the races," Carman said. "Put Giannis out there, see what people say. Get throttled tomorrow night, see what happens then. If they lose like this tomorrow night, if they go out there and they get beat tomorrow night, even if they look okay, you've lost in five games. Give [the Bucks] a call."

A trade for a two-time MVP in Antetokounmpo would likely require the Cavaliers to part with at least one, if not two, of stars Garland, Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. The team's "Core Four" has powered Cleveland to its outstanding season this year, but Carman questioned whether they can truly be considered a "Core Four" if the team can only reach the second round of the playoffs.

The rumors of a potential Antetokounmpo trade come on the heels of a report from ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania on Monday, who said the Bucks forward is "open-minded" about the possibility of playing elsewhere.

Antetokounmpo, 30, was an MVP finalist this season after averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game on 60.1% efficiency. The nine-time All-Star led Milwaukee to an NBA Championship in 2021.

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