Could the Cleveland Cavaliers emerge as a blockbuster landing spot for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The NBA is all abuzz about a possible Giannis departure from Milwaukee this summer. Many people assume that Antetokounmpo, if moved, will end up in a big market like New York or Los Angeles.
But on Sunday, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo did a little NBA cosplay during a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast that led them to a surprising trade idea involving Giannis and the Cavs.
During the brief skit, Simmons acted as the Cavaliers’ front office, while Russillo played the role of Milwaukee.
“I’ll be the Cleveland GM, Koby Altman,” Simmons said. “(Evan) Mobley for Giannis, straight up. What do you think? We could do the deal on July 1st when Mobley's kicker comes in. Straight up. He’s six and a half years younger (than Giannis). Call it in right now.”
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“Done,” replied Russillo.
Simmons then broke out of character.
“You're done if you're Milwaukee?” Simmons asked Russillo.
“Yeah,” Russillo replied.
“I think I'm done if I'm Cleveland, too,” Simmons said. “I think I'm doing it. I think it's a great trade. It’s a really fair trade.”
“(If you’re Cleveland), you could have a team that has Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Giannis on it in a weak East, and I think you're immediately the favorites in the East.”
Simmons then explained why the deal would be favorable for the Bucks.
“With Milwaukee … they don't have any of their picks, so it makes no sense for them to do a dump trade, which is why the Mobley thing was so interesting to me … they could bring back somebody that would keep them competitive and somebody they could build around and then hope, ‘Oh, when Dame comes back, maybe (we could be) pretty good, and maybe we'll have cap space in two years.’ Like, there's light at the end of the tunnel (with Mobley) … right now they don't have any.”
Simmons’s thoughts on a Giannis-to-Cleveland deal are creative and exciting. With the Bucks not going anywhere, Giannis could immediately enter the title race once again if he were to join forces with Mitchell and Garland in Cleveland.
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