After getting swept by the Knicks in pathetic fashion, the Cavaliers are at a crossroads of sorts. Their roster is very clearly not good enough, but it’s the most expensive one in the league. They’re likely in too deep to blow it up, and their owner, Dan Gilbert, indicated immediately after the Game 4 loss that the team will do everything it can this summer to get to where they want to be.
The crazy part is that, despite a number of tweaks over the past few seasons around the core players, the biggest issue in Cleveland is the same one they’ve had for years: a lack of two-way wings. They’ve had two good guards and two good bigs, but they can’t find the missing pieces in between, and when you’re constantly competing with teams like the Knicks and Celtics, that’s a huge problem.
That will be the clear goal for the Cavs this summer, and their only real path to contention is getting a strong wing player who can score and defend on the perimeter. Which should lead them to another team in turmoil: the Boston Celtics.
If they haven’t already, the Cavaliers will surely call the Celtics and inquire about the availability of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Between Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, they have some talented players to offer, but none of that should move the needle for Brad Stevens.
Trading for Mitchell or Mobley would be a disaster
Mitchell is a small guard who’s about to turn 30. He’s very good, but he’s not elite, as evidenced in these playoffs. If he’s your best player, you’re not getting to the promised land. Plus, he only has one year left on his deal and will surely be seeking a max extension. That contract is going to age like milk, and the Celtics shouldn’t go anywhere near that kind of money for a small player who relies on explosiveness and is a liability on defense (Kemba Walker 2.0, anyone?).
Mobley is still just 24 years old and already has a Defensive Player of the Year under his belt, but much like Mitchell, he has shown his true colors, and this is another guy you can’t count on. He lacks the strength and toughness to be a dominant force down low without another big, and he doesn’t have a good enough perimeter skill set to play power forward.
Frankly, his offensive game just leaves a lot to be desired, and while he’s very good and could still get better, his five-year, $224 million contract that runs through 2030 should be a nonstarter.
On paper, the Cavs may have the right players for an ideal positional swap to balance the rosters, but in reality, the Jays are far better than Mitchell and Mobley. These moves wouldn’t even be lateral for Boston; they’d be straight-up downgrades. I can’t imagine Brad doesn’t already know this, but any fans dreaming of poaching from the Cavs should quickly learn this lesson as well. Making a blockbuster move for any of the Cleveland stars would be a massive mistake.
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