The Eastern Conference Finals aren’t officially over yet, but for all intents and purposes, the Knicks punched their ticket to the Finals on Saturday night, winning in Cleveland to take a 3-0 series lead. The Cavs are all but finished, fading away from the spotlight, and will ultimately be remembered for blowing a 22-point 4th quarter lead in Game 1.
Many figured that finally breaking through and reaching the ECF with this core would be enough to keep things going for at least another year, but the way this series has gone, that may be hard to justify, as they’ve been completely outclassed by the Knicks and sit on the verge of being swept.
The Cavs are set to have one of the highest payrolls in the league again next year, and considering these results, it’s hard to believe ownership is going to be content footing that bill to run it back with this core. There are probably going to be some shake-ups, and the rumors and speculation are already starting to fly.
The obvious name that keeps getting brought up is Donovan Mitchell, but entering the final guaranteed year of his deal, and about to turn 30, coming off this up-and-down playoff performance, that could be a tricky move to make. The more interesting question may be what happens with Evan Mobley?
Mobley would be fascinating trade target for Celtics
If the Cavs extend Mitchell, with James Harden in tow, they could be eyeing more win-now moves around an aging core. The thought of moving the 24-year-old Mobley could become appealing. There have been talks about LeBron James having a Cleveland reunion as well, so they could look to go all-in with veterans.
Mobley came into the league with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett comps, but despite winning the DPOY last season, those notions have fallen flat. Still, he’s an intriguing young player, an elite defender, a solid offensive player, and a guy who can still get stronger and better. He would be a massive addition for a lot of teams and would instantly solve the Celtics’ frontcourt issues.
But the price will be high, and the fit is imperfect. Mobley is already making huge money, just wrapping up the first year of a 5-year, $224 million contract that will pay him $61.2 million for the 2029-30 season. That’s an awful lot to pay for a guy who put up 18 and 9 this season, shot under 30% from three, and didn’t finish in the top 15 for All-Defense voting.
On the other hand, he’s only one year removed from a DPOY and a top-10 MVP finish at age 23. There’s reason for optimism, and reason to believe he can still get a lot better, especially in a new home, like Boston. With his $50.1 million price tag next season, the cost to acquire is going to be the same as these other star trades we’re talking about. It’s going to take Jaylen Brown or a package built around Derrick White and Sam Hauser.
Moving JB for Mobley would likely be a downgrade in the near term, so that would have to come with some other assets to make any sense at all, but one could argue a Tatum/Mobley/White core would be a cleaner fit, and an incredible defensive trio to build around. The Cavs would probably want something back in the other iteration of the deal, but the Jays plus Mobley is quite a dynamic top three in the East as well.
Mobley trade still extremely unlikely
Ultimately, this comes down to cost and what different people want. Unless Jaylen wants out of Boston, I’d be hard-pressed to move him for a player who has been a bit disappointing in Mobley. If they could really find a way to sweeten the deal with picks and young players, maybe it’s worth considering, but it feels like a stretch.
The White package moves the needle a bit more, but we’ve seen that having three players making $50 million+ on the roster makes team-building tricky and can limit your ability to make any more upgrades.
I think it’s a long shot that either of these moves happens, or that Mobley gets moved at all this summer. He’s too good and too young, and if the Cavs want to pivot, he’s probably the last guy they should consider moving. But if the Celtics are dead set on making a splash move and want to add a star big man, they could certainly do a lot worse.
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