An intriguing new Giannis Antetokounmpo mock trade just dropped.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo likely to be on the trade market, there will be no shortage of offers from teams across the league looking to acquire the two-time MVP, especially teams that might find themselves on the edge of playoff contention or were a step or two shy of the NBA Finals.
Naturally, with that plethora of suitors there have been countless trade proposals from various media outlets and one of the more interesting proposals came from a recent article by Bleacher Report.
The proposal in question posited that the Milwaukee Bucks trade Antetokounmpo to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Evan Mobley, Sam Merrill and the No. 29 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) throws a pass beside Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. David Richard-Imagn ImagesLooking at Merrill
Merrill has been a dependable bench piece for the Cavaliers the past four seasons, averaging a career-high 12.8 points in the 2025-26 season as well as 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, both career-highs as well, while shooting 46.1% from the field and 42.1% from three point range.
He could be a very similar player for the Bucks, providing a spark off their bench. Alternatively, Merrill could rise to a full-time starting role, something his usage has been slowly building toward throughout his career, depending on how deep the Bucks' selling process and rebuild goes.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) controls the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the second quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThe No. 29 pick is intriguing as well. A pick near the end of the first round is still a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, which promises to be one of the most talented drafts in recent memory.
Pairing that with the 10th-overall pick the Bucks already have would be a huge leg up and kick off their impending rebuild even more.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of game seven in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesIs Mobley Enough?
But, both Merrill and the promise of a pick are simply appetizers to this trade. Mobley is the main course.
Mobley is both an All-Star and a former Defensive Player of the Year who has even received MVP votes in the past. While he's obviously not a 1-1 replacement for Antetokounmpo, picking him up in a possible trade would at least help supplement the physicality and defense that would be lost by trading Antetokounmpo away.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dunks in the third quarter against the New York Knicks during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesPicking him up also gives the Bucks another young star to build around with Mobley still being just 24-years-old despite having five seasons of experience already.
He isn't a franchise-defining pickup and the Bucks would certainly still have work to do through either free agency or further trades to continue to transform their roster, but Mobley represents a major step in the right direction for a renewed vision of the team.
Pairing him with a first-round pick and Merrill and this proposed trade comes the closest of many mocks that at least somewhat matches the value in Antetokounmpo that the Bucks would be trading away.
