Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman delivered his requisite end-of-season interview with the media a few days ago, several weeks earlier than he probably would have liked. His answers made it seem like the team will be running it back, indicating that this group has another attainable gear to hit.

Altman is standing behind head coach Kenny Atkinson, praising James Harden for assimilating as well as he could, and noting how great the front court is, and will be, next year. He also heaped praise on Evan Mobley during his press conference in a way that makes it sound like the team is very unwilling to part with him. 

“All Evan has done is impact winning,” Altman said. “He’s been remarkable for us in terms of our ascent the last five years. He’s a huge part of what we do.” 

All signs point to a team that will look very similar come October. But the uncomfortable truth is that the only way for the Cavs to meaningfully upgrade this offseason is to trade Evan Mobley.

While a run to the conference finals is no small feat, the Cavs got there in a way that feels much worse than reality. They ended up losing more games than they won in the playoffs with a record of 8-10, failed to close out several winnable games against inferior teams, and then were beaten down in historical fashion to conclude their campaign. Had the Cavs, say, swept Toronto, dispatched of Detroit in six games, and then lost to New York in a hard-fought series, the discussion would be different. As it stands, this team is not as close to the NBA Finals as the front office thinks.

The team already dove headfirst into the deep end of the pool with the trade of Darius Garland, and that was met with raised eyebrows. Moving on from Mobley would be even more daring, but also much more rewarding. He would fetch a hefty package in return, but it would have to be for a player who is better right this very second. The Cavs cannot trade him for a few decent players and draft capital to make up the difference. The tightrope they are walking is championship or bust. 

Someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the ideal outcome, a player that instantly levels the Cavs up in a meaningful way and can serve as the alpha. It is unclear if he would be willing to sign an extension to remain in Cleveland beyond next season, making a move risky. But the reward is their best shot at a championship with one of the five best players in the league. 

What about Jaylen Brown? Him and Mitchell are exceptionally close friends, and he took a major step forward as a scorer and playmaker with Jayson Tatum out. Sending Mobley to Boston may not be the best idea karmically, but a three-team deal that avoids that is possible. Brown fits as the two-way player that would glue things together. 

Oklahoma City, upon being eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs, was instantly linked to Mobley in a potential trade, according to The Athletic. The Thunder have some interesting trade chips in All-Pro Jalen Williams and the other lanky young power forward in Chet Holmgren. With plenty of picks at their disposal, Oklahoma City can feasibly send a very high-end player and then some. 

Trading Mobley, of course, comes with risks. He is an elite defender and has continued to grow on offense, though not as quickly as the Cavs need. However, he would be an excellent blue-chip prospect in Milwaukee and profiles as a Victor Wembanyama deterrent for the Thunder. But there is no denying that, if the Cavs are to make another run with Donovan Michell as the head of the snake, trading Mobley is an unfortunate reality.

Sure, Jarrett Allen could get you a good player in return, but it won’t be a great one. The Cavs cannot simply waive Harden and unlock cap space — they are so far over the cap that all that would do is let a good player walk for nothing. A Mitchell trade is not happening, at least not this summer. They don’t have enough draft capital to swing anything meaningful. LeBron James circa 2014 isn’t walking through that door, and the diminished 2026 version might not either. Internal progression from Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor is not nearly enough to bring the Cavs up an echelon. That leaves Mobley as the ticket to something better.

If the Cavs are serious about maximizing their window to win a championship, trading Mobley has to be on the table as an option. It isn’t a requirement that they trade him, and the Cavs aren’t in dire need of a superstar, but they do need to get better. If trading Mobley achieves that in a meaningful way, and as painful as it may be, it must be considered.