Realistic Target: Santi Aldama
The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t really need to make a trade, but if they do, it seems like it would be to either break up the Donovan Mitchell-Darius Garland pairing or the Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen one. The latter feels likelier, and if Allen were moved, it would make sense to bring in a forward who’d bump Mobley to the 5. Cleveland already had a juggernaut-like offense in 2024-25, but Aldama’s perimeter skills could make it even more dangerous.
Dream Target: Franz Wagner
Moving Garland would be pretty surprising, but his game and the fact that his salary is almost doubles Allen’s could open the door to some pretty interesting returns. Would the Orlando Magic think Garland, with his outside shooting and playmaking, is a better fit with Paolo Banchero? For Cleveland, moving Mitchell to the 1 and starting him with Wagner, Mobley and Allen, would certainly improve the defense. This would be a high-risk, high-reward type swap for both teams.