Cavs President Koby Altman said that the Cavs will “have to change that narrative” of them being a regular season team. And that means big moves in the trade market. Kenny Atkinson impressed in his first season as manager of Cleveland – winning 64 of the 82 games, and the Coach of the Year. But they disappointed in the playoffs yet again. How come? Well according to Altman, it was due to Donovan Mitchell and Co. being too “soft”.
They have all the talent in the world. Center Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year, while Mitchell showed why he’s one of the best in the business. They even trampled the Miami Heat 4-0 in the first round. But then came the Pacers, who were just mentally tougher than Cleveland. And losing 4-1 might’ve exposed some tough realities that the Cavs have on their hand. Altman himself said that they were a lot softer this season than their opponents. And Brian Windhorst agrees with him.
“He also said, because a lot of people, and especially the fans in Cleveland, thought the Cavs were very soft. Basically what Koby said, and I happen to agree with him, is that there’s a difference between being physically soft and mentally soft. And he basically said, he thought they were mentally soft, but that doesn’t mean they were physically soft,” said Windy on Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective.
The first move to change the narrative is reportedly to bring in Giannis Antetokounmpo. After the Bucks’ own playoff failures, the Greek is rumored to be on the move. The rumor mill has coughed up trade ideas by the second – linking him with all the other 29 teams. And the Cavs are the latest to enter that conversation, but at a cost. And that cost is trading Evan Mobley the other way.
Feb 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Due to Cleveland being in the second apron and not having a ton of draft picks in their arsenal, sending a superstar the other way is the only option. It’s brutal. And seeing Altman’s recent quotes on the futures of Donovan Mitchell and Mobley, it’s virtually impossible.
Altman keen on keeping core of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley intact
Let’s start with Evan Mobley. After winning the DPOY, he’s keen on improving hereon. And Altman values him so much that the Cavs direction is being guided by their big man. “We’re going to go as a franchise as Evan is going to go,” Altman said. “And we’ve had that conversation with Evan. In the playoffs, we need more. We need more than 13 field goal attempts per game – that’s new for Evan. There’s another jump.”
To be honest, trading someone like Mobley has Nico Harrison written all over it. And the Cavs President would sooner sell his left arm. But it was his preference for their center over hero attacker Donovan Mitchell that would’ve stung deep. “We have obviously said for years that even after the Donovan Mitchell trade, you’re not winning a title if Donovan Mitchell is your best player. You could win a title if the Evan Mobley that is in there becomes a top five or ten player in the league and Donovan Mitchell is your second best player,” said Altman.
Donovan Mitchell averaged 24/4.5/5 shooting 44.3% from the field this season. It’s obvious that he has the biggest burden when it comes to their offense- a responsibility he takes in stride. But as Sir Alex Ferguson said, “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” And that’s exactly what the Cavs are missing out on. Even ESPN’s Tim Bontemps doubled-down on this theory on Windy’s podcast.
Dec 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the second quarter of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
“Evan Mobley as a big with the skills he has- has a ceiling that Donovan Mitchell is not getting to. you saw some flashes that this year. You also saw times when he would sort of fade away on offense and obviously one defensive player of the year. It’s a terrific young player. But again, I think that’s the right tone for him to set to like it’s a big summer for the Cavs on a lot of levels. They had a great season, but a very disappointing ending,” said Bontemps on the pod.
So it’s confirmed- Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell aren’t going anywhere. As much as the prospect of Giannis looks pretty, Mobley’s too much of a cost for them to incur. There has to be a mental switch for the Cavs of they’re to win the championship. Do you see that switch coming next season?
The post Amid Giannis Trade Rumors, Cavs President’s Scathing Words Confirm Donovan Mitchell & Evan Mobley’s Future appeared first on EssentiallySports.
