The Miami Heat will be a top destination for Giannis Antetokounmpo if a trade happens this summer, but there will be competition. Thanks to the Knicks, the Cavaliers could make an aggressive push for the 31-year-old superstar, especially if the conference finals result in a sweep.
New York is up 2-0 over Cleveland, though it should be tied 1-1. The Cavaliers' collapse in Game 1 allowed the Knicks to claw back after trailing by 22 points with less than eight minutes remaining. It's the first to four wins, so losing the first game in the series doesn't end the season, but how can you come back from that?
Cleveland couldn't in Game 2, losing 109-93. With the series headed to Ohio, Heat fans should be rooting for the Cavaliers, as their situation is more dire than the Knicks', with Donovan Mitchell set to become extension-eligible this summer.
In an effort to keep Mitchell around, Cleveland's front office could make a push to go all-in on Antetokounmpo. The embarrassment of a sweep could heighten their desperation, maybe to the point where they'd actually be willing to send Evan Mobley to the Bucks.
Ugly end to Cavaliers' season could lead them to Giannis
As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line previously reported, Cleveland was one of the teams that reached out to Milwaukee about Antetokounmpo before the deadline (subscription required). The Bucks wanted Mobley and the Cavaliers' draft assets, a price they weren't willing to match then. Maybe that stance could change this summer.
Mobley has been in Cleveland for five seasons now, but he has yet to blossom into the kind of star that the team thought he'd be when they drafted him with the No. 3 pick in 2021, particularly on the offensive end. It doesn't help that he didn't take a single shot in the second half of Game 2 on Thursday after shooting 5-of-8 for 14 points in the first half.
The Cavaliers reached the ECF for the first time since 2018, which is an accomplishment, but then again, that's not enough for the team with the league's highest payroll. Tough decisions could be coming this season, especially if the Knicks cruise to two more wins, and that could still be the case even if Cleveland manages to win one or two games.
If the Cavaliers' priority is to keep Mitchell around (and it seems like that will be the case), trading Mobley for Giannis could achieve that. If Cleveland is willing to do that, it doesn't automatically mean Miami will be out of the running, but it will make things harder on the Heat in their pursuit.
The Heat have struck out on their fair share of stars, and this summer could have a similar ending if the Cavs are interested enough to up their offer.
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