Tag: cavs

Isaiah Mobley will try to find a new home for 2024-25 NBA season

Isaiah Mobley and the Cavs part ways.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have decided not to extend a qualifying offer to power forward and former USC Trojan Isaiah Mobley, making him an unrestricted free agent, per reports picked up by Hoops Wire

Mobley, 24, is 6-foot-8 and was selected by the Cavs with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft out of USC. He has appeared in a total of 22 NBA games over his two seasons, averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds.

The older brother of Cavaliers starting big man Evan Mobley signed a two-way contract each of the previous two summers but was not retained this past summer by the Cavs.

“I know my time is coming,” Mobley said at the end of last season, via Jackson Flickinger of SB Nation. “I just try to keep getting better and be ready for my opportunities when they come. But yeah, I want it to be now or tomorrow. But you know, that’s out of my control. I don’t let it really bother me.”

Let’s see what teams will be interested in the power forward before writing him off for the future.

Mobley averaged a team-high 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds for the 2021-22 Trojans, as well as leading the team with 29 blocks and finishing second in assists with 106 and steals with 24. Mobley, the 2021-22 USC team MVP, was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference first team and was named honorable mention on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team.

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Evan Mobley likely to get max contract with Cavs

Evan Mobley has lived up to the advance billing in Cleveland.

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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Report: Cavs granted permission to interview Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly been granted permission to interview the Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach.

Since the regular season came to an end, Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has been linked to multiple head coaching openings around the association.

After parting ways with J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been in the market for a new head coach on the sideline. Early reports regarding the opening have highlighted Atkinson as a potential candidate.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Cavaliers have been granted permission to interview Atkinson. Cleveland will also interview New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego along with several more candidates, per Wojnarowski.

Via @wojespn on X:

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1795973261576094157

Atkinson has head coaching experience. He served as the Brooklyn Nets head coach for four seasons from 2016-2020.

Atkinson joined Steve Kerr’s staff with Golden State in 2022 before the Warriors began a championship campaign that culminated in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Atkinson has also served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Since joining Kerr’s staff, Atkinson has been linked to many job openings in past years across the league, including the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Report: Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson candidate for Cavs’ opening at head coach

The Cavs have an opening at head coach after parting way with JB Bickerstaff.

With only four teams remaining in the postseason, most of the NBA is preparing for the offseason. After being eliminated from the second round of the postseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with head coach JB Bickerstaff.

Bickerstaff coached five seasons with the Cavaliers, posting a 170-159 record with two trips to the playoffs. Following Bickerstaff’s exit from Cleveland, a member of Steve Kerr’s coaching staff with the Golden State Warriors is reportedly a candidate for the opening.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is expected to be a candidate along with New Orleans Pelicans associate James Borrego.

Via @ShamsCharania on Twitter:

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1793648845504802986

Atkinson joined  Kerr’s coaching staff in 2022 before the Warriors went on a run to win a championship against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Since joining Kerr’s staff with the Warriors, Atkinson has reportedly been a candidate for multiple head coaching openings, including the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns and most recently the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before joining Golden State, Atkinson was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons. Along with serving as an assistant with the Warriors, Atkinson was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Evan Mobley and the Cavs get an NBA education from the Celtics

Evan Mobley is soaking up basketball knowledge against the Boston Celtics.

Former USC Trojan basketball star Evan Mobley had a huge Game 2 performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA playoff win over the Boston Celtics a few days ago. Mobley shined with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal over 33 minutes.

Mobley stepped up as the starting center while Jarrett Allen (ribs) remained out in Game 2. Mobley enjoyed the best game of his young NBA postseason career, forging a 1-1 tie in this second-round playoff series.

Evan Mobley was taken No. 3 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021 NBA draft. We are seeing glimpses of his potential, and we are being reminded of why the Cavs took him with a top-three selection when they had the chance. Mobley’s rim protection has been as advertised in the NBA. His defensive instincts remain elite, much as they were in his one season at USC. However, Mobley’s offensive game still has a lot of room for improvement. The Boston Celtics held Cleveland to 93 points in Game 3 and 102 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Mobley and the Cavs are learning how to go up against a superior team and find solutions. The seeds planted in this series can hopefully sprout into something bigger in future years for Mobley and the Cavs.

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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce joins his brother Jason as an honoree at Cleveland Cavaliers game

#Chiefs TE Travis Kelce joined his brother Jason an honoree at a Cleveland #Cavaliers game this week.

The day after Jason Kelce announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL, he joined his brother Travis back in Ohio. At Tuesday’s Cleveland Cavaliers game, the Kansas City Chiefs star was honored in his hometown.

Cleveland fans walked into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the anticipated NBA matchup of the Cavaliers against the Boston Celtics and a special Kelce brothers bobblehead giveaway. Travis and Jason Kelce appeared in black Cavs’ Statement jerseys at the arena, including their signature NFL jersey numbers.

The Cavs Team Shop had exclusive Kelce brother-themed merchandise available for sale, with some proceeds being donated to Heights Schools Foundation Initiatives.

Jason and Travis graduated from Cleveland Heights High School and stayed in Ohio for college, where they were stars at the University of Cincinnati. Before tip-off, NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell greeted Travis and acknowledged him on the big screen in the arena alongside Jason.

The success of their New Heights podcast and incredible NFL careers have put the Kelce brothers in a different realm of celebrity. They are respected for their field work but equally appreciated for their commitment to their community and fans.

Cleveland Cavaliers may look to trade Collin Sexton by next season

Former Alabama PG Collin Sexton has become one of the brightest young stars in the league, but he could be on the move now, as the Cavs …

Former Alabama guard Collin Sexton has been performing well in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that drafted him in 2018 at No. 8 overall, and has been steadily improving every season.

With his rookie contract set to expire in 2022, the Cavs will have to make a decision: sign Sexton to a large extension, or trade him away over the offseason.

Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes, “Two NBA people I respect suggest the Cavs trade Sexton. One likes him a lot, one is lukewarm. But their point is the team should only sign Allen (a restricted free agent) to a $100 million deal. Because of the Love contract, the Cavs can’t pay Allen and Sexton tons of cash without crushing the salary cap.”

Money is an issue for Cleveland, so is a lack of winning. The team’s financial struggles and lack of competitiveness began when LeBron James left, and Sexton entered in 2018.

There’s no telling exactly what the Cavaliers could potentially get for the young point guard, as opinions on Sexton vary across the league.

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Celtics crush Cavs 141-103 as star wing Jaylen Brown breaks scoring records

Boston romped to a blowout win while Jaylen Brown blew by an NBA scoring record to become the fastest player to 33 points in league history.

The Boston Celtics obliterated the Cleveland Cavaliers 141 – 103 in their Jan. 25th meeting at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse that saw star Celtics forward Jaylen Brown set an NBA record for the fastest player in league history to 33 points, which he secured in just 19 minutes of play.

Brown wasn’t alone with having a good night — something that tends to happen when a team breaks the 140-point mark — with six players hitting a double-digit scoring mark, two of them off the bench. “We needed to win,” said Brown after the game. “We lost three in a row. All good games I thought that we could have definitely won … you wanted to make sure that we came out play with great energy and we did.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cXaJel5VaA

Tatum out, Nesmith upgraded to “questionable” for Celtics vs. Cavs

Boston is taking a step forward health-wise against the Cavs after some setbacks in availability last week.

The Boston Celtics will be a little healthier than they were in their 122 – 110 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, but only just barely as several key players remain out in their Sunday evening tilt with a streaking Cleveland Cavaliers franchise.

The Cavs, who have won their last three games (including a pair against the new-look Brooklyn Nets), are no pushovers any more as point guard Collin Sexton is coming into his own this season as a player, but they will still be without a few players of their own. Veteran big man Kevin Love will sit with a calf strain and old foe Matthew Dellavedova is still working his way through the league’s concussion protocol.

Cleveland will also have center Marques Bolden and forward Lamar Stevens assigned to their G League affiliate for the contest.

The Celtics will continue to sit All-NBA swingman Jayson Tatum as he ramps up for a return from a long absence in the league’s health and safety protocols following an asymptomatic COVID-19 diagnosis, which second-year guard Carsen Edwards will remain in for this game at least as well.

Wing Romeo Langford (wrist) is also out for the contest, but may be getting closer to a return sometime next month. Rookie Aaron Nesmith has been upgraded from “doubtful” to “questionable” for the game, but is probably not going to play even so given he tweaked something in his back not long ago.

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ACC team featured in incredible ‘Bad Beats’ segment with Scott Van Pelt

An ACC team won a non-conference game this week in blowout fashion but it’s how the last 90 seconds went that has the sports world talking.

One of the best things going on in sports-television these days is Scott Van Pelt’s weekly “Bad Beats” segment on SportsCenter each Monday night.

In the segment, he and Stanford Steve go over the worst beats from a gambling perspective over the weekend.

Sometimes it’s a freakish lateral play that gets fumbled and returned for a back-door cover, other times you’ll see a ridiculous catch or bizarre call by an official change who ultimately covered the game.

On a weekend that saw plenty of them, the ACC’s Virginia Cavaliers pulled off perhaps the greatest backdoor cover one will ever against Abilene Christian.

No, not just because of the last play, but because of the last 90 seconds of the unimaginable that led to an even crazier final outcome.  Take a look for yourself:

I know we’ll focus on the pick six to end it and give Virginia the ultimate cover but what in the name of Mary and Joseph is with the Cavaliers play-call on 2nd and 12 with 41 seconds remaining, while up 36?

The pick-six to end it is the icing on the cake but the ride to set that play up only blows my mind more each time I go back and rewatch it.

He who gambles lives in shambles.

Thoughts and prayers if you lost money because of that, but more thoughts and prayers your way seeing as you actually bet on Virginia/Abilene Christian.

Yikes.