Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have been knocked out of the first round of the playoffs for three straight seasons, and ever since the Bucks won the championship in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns in 6 games, things have not been the same. Even though, the Greek Freak is having one outstanding season after another, the fact remains that the Bucks have had little to no success in the playoffs. While you may be thinking about how the Bucks can just bring in a couple of pieces and fix the problem, the answers to that is not that simple. To put it simply, the Bucks have no draft assets to exchange and bring in quality role players. And the only thing this team can do currently, is run it back with the same team again, or break up the team altogether and wait for years to rebuild again. That is unless Antetokounmpo decides to play for another team.
After yet another first round exit, the tension between the Bucks organization and their franchise superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is at an all time high. And recently it was also reported that Antetokounmpo is interested, for the first time in his career, to look for other teams to play for, specifically a championship contending team.
The Milwaukee Bucks front office wants every scenario to gut the other team in any potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks and GM Jon Horst is “going to go for blood” after getting a new contract extension.
— TheBucksZone (@TheBucksZone) May 19, 2025
“Jon is not going to just try to be on good terms with Giannis—he’s… pic.twitter.com/0E0Q7mkQLq
Recently, a certain NBA analyst believed that Antetokounmpo should be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and down below are the reasons why.
Bill Simmons, an NBA analyst, recently suggested that Giannis Antetokounmpo should be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Evan Mobley. “Mobley for Giannis straight up. What do you think? Straight up. He’s six and a half years younger… I think I’m doing it. I think it’s a great trade.” said Simmon on his podcast, “The Bills Simmons Podcast.”
Bill Simmons and Ryen Russilo discuss a Giannis for Evan Mobley straight up trade and agree it's fair and both teams would agree
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 19, 2025
Personally, I think that as good as Evan Mobley is, he is not at the same caliber as Giannis, yet. pic.twitter.com/qPfxcfjZfb
We believe that Antetokounmpo to the Cavaliers is a great move because the Greek Freak wants to win his second championship, and has stated previously that he’ll have nightmares and huge regrets if he doesn’t end up winning another title in his NBA career. The Cavs are coming off of a great season, won 60 plus game this year. While they were bounced out of the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers, a large part of it was due to the injuries to various players such as Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter. If Giannis was to be traded to the Cavs, that would immediately make them the favorite to win it all next season, provided that the Cavs don’t end up giving a lot of players in return and keep the roster intact. With Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Jared Allen, adding Antetokounmpo could solve all of the Cavs’ problems.
Meanwhile for the Bucks, they’ll get a 6 years younger Evan Mobley, who was just selected as the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season and he is also coming off of an All-Star selection. While Antetokounmpo is clearly the far superior talent amongst the two, the Bucks will have a defensive minded player, similar to Giannis, to build around. It is a win-win for both the teams, and this would be a great trade for both teams if it were to happen.
Also Read: NBA’s New Era of Parity- How the League Thrived After Durant’s Warriors Dynasty
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