RealGM Basketball Wiretap

05 June 2026

• Some Members Of Cavs' Front Office 'Vehemently Against' Trading Evan Mobley For Giannis Antetokounmpo

  The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to a possible trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their front office appears unlikely to be in favor of trading Evan Mobley away in exchange for the two-time MVP. Mobley is easily the Cavaliers' best trade asset if they were to make a significant move in improving their title chances during the Donovan Mitchell era.

  "The Cavs love Mobley, they believe in him and there are multiple members of the Cleveland brain trust that would be vehemently against a Giannis-Mobley swap," wrote Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

  Mobley turns 25 this month, making him six years younger than Antetokounmpo, who has battled injuries over the past few years. Mobley will also make approximately $8 million less next season as the Cavaliers balance second apron issues.

  Koby Altman went on record last week calling Mobley the team's "best player throughout the playoffs."

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Intrigued By Idea Of Joining Celtics

  The Boston Celtics are considered the wild-card possibility in the impending Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Boston considered making a run at Antetokounmpo ahead of last February's trade deadline. They could re-engage the Milwaukee Bucks in trade talks this summer.

  From Antetokounmpo's standpoint, he's reportedly very intrigued by the prospect of joining the Celtics. In theory, Boston would be able to put together a package for the superstar forward that doesn't remove all of their depth. It's likely that trade package would include Jaylen Brown, possibly in a three-team deal where Brown heads to the third team with young talent and draft picks being routed to the Bucks.

  During the regular season, Antetokounmpo praised Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla for his approach to the game and managing the team. In his postseason media availability, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said that Boston has to find a way to get more scoring opportunities around the basket.

• Heat Seen As Frontrunners For Giannis Antetokounmpo

  Trade rumors continue to swirl around Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Bucks self-imposed deadline of having clarity by the 2026 NBA Draft being roughly three weeks away, the market for Antetokounmpo may be clarifying a bit.

  The Miami Heat are seen as the frontrunners to land Antetokounmpo if he's traded. Many around the NBA believe that this trade process ultimately ends with the superstar forward landing in Miami. There has been long-standing mutual interest between Antetokounmpo and the Heat.

  Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks could be options for Antetokounmpo as well. The Knicks are playing in the NBA Finals, and their interest may have lessened. It's also unclear what approach the Thunder will take to the offseason after falling short in their quest to win back-to-back titles.

  The Portland Trail Blazers have also been mentioned as potential Antetokounmpo suitors. The Trail Blazers control future Bucks first-round picks as a result of the Damian Lillard trade. However, Antetokounmpo would like to stay in the Eastern Conference, which makes a trade to Portland less likely.

• Thunder Have Had Interest In Evan Mobley, Unlikely To Trade For Giannis Antetkounmpo

  The Oklahoma City Thunder are unlikely to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, sources told Sam Amick of The Athletic.

  The Thunder have reportedly had interest in Evan Mobley in the past, though the Cavs are insisting that they will not deal Mobley.

  After losing Game 7 to the Spurs on Saturday night, all 15 Thunder players are under contract for next season.

  The Thunder, who recently worked out Nate Ament, are open to trading the No. 17 pick in the upcoming draft.

• Cavs Confident Of Re-Signing James Harden To Multiyear Extension Worth Around $30M Per Season

  The Cleveland Cavaliers are confident that they will be able to re-sign James Harden to a multiyear extension this offseason, sources told Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

  The two sides are likely to agree on a deal around $30 million per season.

  Harden has expressed his desire to return to the Cavs next season.

  The Cavs are also unlikely to be involved in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors this offseason as the team have no interest in trading Evan Mobley.

• Cavaliers Unlikely To Trade For Giannis Antetokounmpo

  The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked as a potential trade partner with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo following their four-game elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals, but sources tell Jake Fischer that the franchise is unlikely to be in the mix for the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. The Cavaliers could offer a young two-way star in Evan Mobley to the Bucks.

  There are two clear reasons for why a trade for Antetokounmpo is considered unlikely as there is skepticism he would want to commit his long-term future to the Cavaliers and the franchise also sees Mobley as the bridge to a sustainable winner beyond the prime of Donovan Mitchell. Mobley is just 24 and still has potential to get better even if he no longer projects as a true top-10 talent.

  Koby Altman declared Mobley as "part of our future" when asked about him during his Friday press conference.

  The Cavaliers inquired about the availability of Antetokounmpo ahead of the trade deadline.

  Because the Cavaliers have decided to retain Kenny Atkinson as head coach, there is speculation that they will try to reshape their roster this offseason in hopes of reaching the Finals for the first time in franchise history without LeBron James.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Currently Most Interested In Heat, Celtics

  As Giannis Antetokounmpo evaluates his trade options to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, he is believed to currently consider the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics as most compelling to him. Antetokounmpo also has his sights on remaining in the Eastern Conference, which would keep him closer to Greece and with arguably an easier path for a return to The Finals away from the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

  The Heat seriously pursued Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline and have been considered the team that had most traction at that time with the Bucks. Miami's trade offer as been built around Kel'el Ware, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez along with their available tradeable first round picks.

  The Celtics had at least cursory interest in Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline. Boston realistically would have to include Jaylen Brown in an outgoing trade package for Antetokounmpo.

  Bucks' ownership has gone on record expecting a resolution to Antetokounmpo's future by the draft.

• Cavs Not Interested In Trading Evan Mobley For Giannis Antetokounmpo

  The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of facing some tough offseason questions after falling down 0-3 to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs have an extremely expensive roster, which will be hard to keep together due to the NBA's rules around being a second-apron team. That means changes are coming this offseason.

  One change that is unlikely is a deal that sends Evan Mobley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Cavaliers reportedly have shown no interest in trading Mobley in a deal for Antetokounmpo.

  A year after winning Defensive Player of the Year and garnering some MVP votes, Mobley's play slipped this season. His defense wasn't impactful and Mobley's three-point shooting dipped to under 30% after consecutive seasons at or above 37%.

  In order for Cleveland to make major upgrades to their roster, they'll need to consider moving at least one of Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen or James Harden. Moving Harden, who was acquired for Darius Garland ahead of the trade deadline, is a challenge because he has a $42.3 million player option for next season that has to be dealt with first.

• Taylor Jenkins Adds Darvin Ham, Patrick St. Andrews, Joe Boylan To Bucks' Coaching Staff

  Darvin Ham, Patrick St. Andrews and Joe Boylan are all expected to join new Milwaukee Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins' staff for the 2026-27 season.

  Ham brings head coaching experience to the role, having compiled a 90-74 record across two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, including a Western Conference finals run in 2023. Ham interviewed for the New Orleans vacancy this spring before the Pelicans hired Jamahl Mosley.

  The appointment reunites Ham with Jenkins, who first worked together on Mike Budenholzer's Atlanta Hawks staff. Both later moved to Milwaukee with Budenholzer for the 2018-19 season before Jenkins departed for Memphis and Ham remained with the Bucks through 2022.

  St. Andrews, a nine-year NBA assistant, also traces his coaching roots to Budenholzer's Atlanta staff. He followed the same path to Milwaukee and later joined Jenkins in Memphis in 2023 before moving to Portland, where he has worked under interim Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter.

  Jenkins addressed the bonds formed during that 2018-19 Milwaukee staff at his introductory news conference.

  "They're definitely brothers to me, for sure," said Jenkins. "The staff that was here when I was here in Milwaukee, I remain unbelievably close friends and brothers with, supporting each other.

  "They've made a tremendous impact on me, both personally and professionally, basketball-wise. The intimate nature of our job, we're around each other all the time. You're having great debates in coaches' meetings, in the locker room, on the plane rides. You're doing things out in your communities, road cities, wherever it is. You're sharing a lot of time together, and how we pour into each other, those connections were immediate."

  Boylan rounds out the trio, having joined Jenkins' Grizzlies staff in 2024-25. He previously served three seasons under Chris Finch in Minnesota and spent over a decade in player development with several NBA organizations. Boylan is a noted practitioner of the Constraints-Led Approach to player development.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo's Trade Value Could Be Boosted By Victor Wembanyama's Emergence

  Despite concerns heading into this offseason about Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade value, Victor Wembanyama's emergence as a singular force may be shifting that calculation back in the Milwaukee Bucks' favor. Few players in the NBA present a credible counterforce to Wembanyama, and Giannis is widely viewed as one of them.

  Antetokounmpo's market value had faced headwinds entering the summer. Executives cited his injury history since his championship season in 2021, the growing premium on first-round picks under proposed lottery changes, and reluctance to commit a long-term supermax contract to a player in his thirties.

  But Wembanyama's performance throughout the regular season and against the Oklahoma City Thunder has prompted fresh conversations throughout the league. Three veteran executives, speaking anonymously to The Athletic, said teams are now actively considering roster construction through the lens of competing with the Spurs long-term.

  "Yeah, Giannis is a matchup solution for Wemby, so I could definitely see teams factoring that in when they're discussing trading for him," said one Western Conference executive.

  The 6-11, 243-pound forward brings the athleticism, physical profile, and versatility to play inside and out that executives consider essential against Wembanyama. Those qualities are rare and difficult to replicate through the draft or traditional roster moves.

  Teams already appear to be preparing. One Eastern Conference executive pointed to the Utah Jazz acquiring Jaren Jackson and retaining size on their roster as evidence that front offices are building specifically with Wembanyama in mind.

  "Trust me, it's on everybody's mind," the executive said. "Teams will try to find ways that they can build a roster out to beat the Spurs, just like they are to beat OKC."

  The urgency of the Wembanyama problem may give Milwaukee unexpected negotiating leverage in Giannis trade discussions this summer.

  All four teams competing in the Conference Finals, the Spurs, Thunder, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, have been linked with Antetokounmpo at various points. Both the Spurs and Thunder have appeared to signal a lack of interest in parting with the type of trade package that would be necessary to acquire Antetokounmpo, while the Knicks and Cavaliers lack enough tradeable future first round picks that the Bucks are expected to seek in a deal.