The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga was the narrative of the summer. Rumors swirled about whether or not the Milwaukee Bucks would prefer the four quarters on the dollar trade from the Miami Heat or the star-for-star swap from the Boston Celtics. Once the Bucks decided to accept Miami’s trade offer over Boston’s for Giannis, the narrative shifted from one star to another.
Now, Jaylen Brown has shifted into the forefront as one of the league’s best players looking for a change of scenery. There have been teams linked to Brown even when it appeared the Bucks might move Brown to a third team if they received him in a Giannis return.
One of the teams that could be in the mix if they wanted to be is the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a segment on NBC Sports Boston, SI’s Chris Mannix mentioned that there is a name on the Cavs roster that is connected to a potential return for Brown.
“The name and team that came back to me is Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers.” Mannix went on to describe how Mobley is the archetype of a player that Boston is currently interested in. There would also be some tough money matching that would need to be accomplished as the Cavaliers are currently in the second apron.
Then, once this news started swirling, it required some insight from Cleveland’s best Brian Windhorst. On his regularly scheduled call with ESPN Cleveland, Windy poured some water on this rumor: “I don’t think they are looking to move him (Mobley) right now.”
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A Mobley for Brown trade could be a disaster on multiple fronts. In terms of talent acquisition, it is a real argument that Brown is more talented than Mobley. Obviously, they are two different archetypes of players, so it’s an apples-to-oranges situation. However, the basketball fit is more of a problem when it comes to Brown. Hypothetically, in a world where the Cavaliers make a version of this deal, the nucleus becomes James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Brown vying for possessions and shot attempts.
Brown is not a connective tissue kind of player; I would argue that the way he impacts offenses is similar to the way Mitchell does. We already saw what Mitchell looked like with Darius Garland, someone who also plays their best when they are on ball all the time, and there was strife there. Harden makes more sense next to Mitchell because Harden’s passing, even at this late stage of his career, is a step above the rest.
While Harden can make Mitchell’s shot portfolio easier, Brown would mostly be on ball to generate his own looks. The quotes coming from Brown in recent months about how this is his favorite season he has ever had would also shine a light on the fact that he wants to be the guy on his next team. Mitchell is the guy in Cleveland. Harden knew Mitchell was the guy in Cleveland, which is what made the pairing work offensively.
The situation in Cleveland could become toxic quickly and could become a “your turn, my turn” kind of offense. Kenny Atkinson’s preferred system of ball and player movement doesn’t exactly fit with what a trio of Harden, Mitchell, and Brown would likely turn into.
If the Cavaliers were serious about Brown, it would actually balance the roster more, as well as the offense, to look at a deal around Mitchell for Brown. Although that doesn’t seem like the direction the team is looking for now. At this moment, it seems like the core four group will be back together in some form.
Obviously, things can change; however, for now, it appears that even though the Cavaliers have attractive players, they are equally as attractive to Cleveland.
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