Former USC Trojan and top five NBA draft pick Evan Mobley is likely to be locked in with the Cleveland Cavs for the long haul this summer.
At the 43:41 mark in the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst speculated the Cavs are “gonna extend Mobley probably at the max, probably in very, very early July.”
Mobley is eligible to sign an extension this summer, a year out from his restricted free agency in 2025.
Mobley, who was a finalist for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 2022-23 season, is coming off his best season in his young career at 23 years old. Mobley averaged 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
“Eventually, the Cavs knew Mobley would evolve into a full-time center — and they got a glimpse of the possibilities at various points this season, including the final eight playoff games. Even with the possibility of him getting pushed around by bigger, burlier centers, that positional switch allows more offensive freedom. If Mobley is, indeed, the most important player, something various members of the organization have boasted, isn’t it time to unshackle him and let him prove it?”, wrote NBA reporter Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
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