Cavs fielding trade interest, but Evan Mobley remains viewed as cornerstone

The Cavaliers are expected to explore the trade market this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they’re looking to break up the core.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, rival teams that contact Cleveland frequently ask about players such as Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and Max Strus.

The challenge for president of basketball operations Koby Altman is finding ways to improve the roster — or potentially reduce payroll — without sacrificing pieces the organization still values highly.

Mobley appears to top that list.

The former No. 3 overall pick has occasionally surfaced in speculation involving Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and other potential blockbuster targets. But Fedor reported that Cleveland continues to view Mobley as a foundational player and a major part of its future.

Altman reinforced that belief during his end-of-season press conference.

“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.”

The Cavs have posted one of the NBA’s best records since Mobley’s arrival, and the organization still believes his best basketball remains ahead of him.

Allen appears to have strong support internally as well.

Altman praised the veteran center Friday and described the Mobley-Allen pairing as a defensive “cheat code,” pushing back against the notion that Cleveland’s frontcourt is necessarily a problem that must be solved.

Again, none of this means the Cavs won’t make moves.

With second-apron concerns looming and an Eastern Conference finals sweep still fresh in everyone’s minds, Cleveland is expected to examine ways to improve the roster.

The question is whether the Cavs can find meaningful upgrades without moving the players they value most.

At least for now, Mobley appears firmly in that category.