The 3 Most underpaid Cleveland Cavaliers for next season

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Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate during games against the San Antonio Spurs (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Evan Mobley is underpaid

The best way to get massive value out of an NBA contract is to draft a player who is ready to help a team win within the first couple of years of their career. Evan Mobley fits the bill perfectly, as from the jump in his rookie season he was flexing his defensive muscle, and last season was one of the best defenders in the league.

Mobley finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Here are the salaries of the other Top 6 finishers:

Jaren Jackson Jr. – $27.1 million
Brook Lopez – $25 million
Draymond Green – $22.3 million
Bam Adebayo – $32.6 million
Giannis Antetokounmpo – $45.6 million

Evan Mobley will make just $8.8 million next season in the third year of his rookie contract; he’ll make just $11.2 million the following season. The value the Cavaliers are getting on his deal will help them maximize the depth around Mobley and the team’s other stars.

What’s more, Mobley should be even better next season than he was in 2022-23, whether taking yet another step forward defensively or adding pieces to his game on offense. The sky feels like the limit for Mobley, and any further improvements will only increase his value. He is likely to be one of the most underpaid players in the league next season.