As the trade deadline is now just two days away, teams are in the final phase of their playoff strategies, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden have opened new possibilities. Harden has allegedly demanded a trade from the front office before Thursday. However, as per the latest updates, the Cleveland Cavaliers might pursue a broader trade plan involving Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Cavs were rumored to be in talks with the Clippers to land Harden if the two teams can work a deal. However, senior NBA writer and The Athletic analyst Sam Amick had added a different dimension to that possibility. He suggested that the Cavaliers’ management might look to offload Jarett Allen, who is worth $30 million this season, to make space for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Trading a young Garland for a 36-year-old James Harden might not be a futuristic decision, but getting Giannis with Donovan Mitchell can make them a title contender immediately. One way the management can pull that off is by involving Harden in a three-way deal with the Bucks to get Giannis and give away Allen’s contract. The team is already under second apron restrictions and will have to make room in their salary structure.
Allen, who is averaging 14 points and eight rebounds, can do that job and give the Cavaliers a much-needed $91 million in their cap space. It all comes to the front office’s priorities, whether they want to try for a championship now by adding James Harden or build around Spidey and create a superteam with Giannis.
Can Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Cavaliers work for them?
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 64.5% from the field and 39.5% from deep. No doubt, he can massively add to any team’s offense. However, the Cavaliers’ combination of Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell has looked good on the court.
The team has won the last eight of the ten games and is again looking good for a deep playoff run. However, back-to-back semifinal losses might have put the front office in doubt about making some changes to overcome the hurdle. That will always come with a risk of spoiling the chemistry the squad has built over the last few seasons.
While James Harden’s angle is still open, the team will be in confusion with limited time on the clock. Getting two max players comes with a big financial risk and the risk of destroying a squad that’s looking good and has already made trips to the conference semifinals.
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