The Cavaliers have spent five seasons waiting for Evan Mobley to become the kind of two-way force they always imagined. He’s delivered plenty on the defensive end - including a Defensive Player of the Year award and the ability to handle most big men while holding up on the perimeter - but the offensive breakthrough still hasn’t arrived.
That’s what makes Morris Bankston’s trade idea from Pippen Ain’t Easy so intriguing. In his view, if the Bulls ever decided Matas Buzelis was available, Cleveland should seriously think about sending Mobley to Chicago. Bankston even pointed to the kind of move Minnesota made when it dealt Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, citing the financial pressure of Towns’ four-year, $220 million designated veteran extension that began in the 2024-25 season and the Wolves’ playoff ceiling in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
But this isn’t just about money. Mobley is the more established player, yet he also feels closer to a finished product than Buzelis, who has only been in the league for a couple of years. The upside case is what makes the idea pop for Cleveland.
There’s no real reason to believe Chicago would want to move Buzelis, though the fit next to Caleb Wilson could be part of the discussion. Bankston suggested that a Wilson-Buzelis pairing might be too tempting for Bryson Graham to pass up, with the two forming a jumbo frontcourt built around length and switchability.
From the Cavaliers’ side, the appeal is obvious. A deal like this would give them an escape hatch from Mobley’s contract, meaningful financial breathing room, and a young piece who could grow alongside Donovan Mitchell for years.
Buzelis already brings a lot to the table. He’s an elite driver, a constant lob threat and has made noticeable progress as a shot-blocker. He’d also fit cleanly next to Peyton Watson, giving Cleveland a pair of energetic, high-flying forwards while improving floor spacing.
That said, the fit with Mobley may be getting crowded. Watson and Mobley overlap in some areas, and Mobley has no reason to, or need to, play center. If Cleveland is going to take another step, the offense may need more juice than the current setup can guarantee.
Buzelis isn’t a finished product either. He’s been billed as a point forward, but he still has to sharpen his decision-making and cut down on the turnovers. His defensive effort can also come and go, even if the tools are clearly there.
None of that means the Cavaliers should actively shop Mobley. But if a chance like this ever surfaced - with a promising young player like Buzelis on the table - it would be hard to ignore, especially with Watson already in the mix.
And even if Cleveland eventually has to pay Buzelis, the long-term financial picture would still look cleaner. The second apron is close enough to matter, and with it comes the kind of restrictions that can really bite, including that frozen 2033 first-round pick.
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Three Young Cavs Suddenly Have A Real Shot To Matter
Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor and reserve forward Jaylon Tyson are all at a stage where the Cavaliers can still reasonably imagine more coming from them. For a team trying to keep building around established pieces, young depth matters, and Cleveland has a few players who fit the kind of long-view conversation coaches and front offices like to have in-season. The appeal here is not just age, but the chance that each can sharpen a specific part of his game enough to stop being a developmental name and start becoming a dependable rotation option.
Proctor has already drawn some attention from Kenny Atkinson, who recently pointed to the guards physical development as part of his progress, and that only adds to the sense that his timeline is moving in the right direction. Porter and Tyson, meanwhile, are still in the category of players whose next step could come from simple but important growth, including greater shooting aggression and more consistency. None of it is finished, but for Cleveland, the possibility that a few young players might meaningfully matter by 2026-27 is the kind of internal upside that can shape a roster more than any outside rumor. [Read more 🡒]
LeBrons Latest Health Concern Changes Clevelands Biggest What-If
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James reportedly monitors the problems daily as part of his training, and last season he missed about a month because of sciatica. For Philadelphia, the concern is obvious: availability always shapes everything around a player at this stage, from rhythm to lineup stability to the larger ceiling of the season. For Cleveland, it only sharpens the old question of how different things might have looked if this version of James, with all the wear and tear that comes with the miles, had been part of the present instead of another teams future. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Contracts Are About To Start A Real Debate Among Fans
The Cavaliers are heading toward a familiar kind of fan debate, the sort that starts with salary sheets and quickly turns into a larger argument about roster building. With 13 player contracts under the microscope, the discussion centers on how Cleveland balances financial commitment against on-court value, especially when the biggest names on the roster carry the highest expectations and the heaviest price tags.
Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell naturally sit near the heart of that conversation, while other deals invite more pointed questions about role, fit and return on investment. Even a name like James Harden, mentioned in the broader ranking discussion, speaks to how these exercises can force a team to weigh star power against flexibility, leaving Cavaliers fans to judge not just who matters most, but which contracts best support the next step. [Read more 🡒]