For much of his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, huge expectations have followed Evan Mobley. For the most part, he has met them. He has shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player in the league and one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Mobley was expected to follow up his 2025 All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year season with an emphatic encore this year. Instead, he battled nagging calf injuries and inconsistencies for most of it. He still maintained his elite defense, but his offense lagged behind.
After the Cavs acquired James Harden though, Mobley looked like a completely different player. He was back to dominating the paint, looked confident and assertive, and showed real growth as a playmaker in the short roll. He continued that into the playoffs.
Mobley has found himself in trade rumors for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but after Cleveland’s run to the conference finals, Mobley’s future should be clear.
The Cavaliers would be making a huge mistake if they traded Evan Mobley away
Make no mistake, Cleveland’s season ended with a whimper. A sweep in the conference finals and a 37-point loss in an elimination game should cause heads to roll. However, it should not mean making rash decisions.
Mobley was instrumental to the Cavs’ deep run. Against Toronto, he went toe-to-toe with Scottie Barnes and knocked down huge shots down the stretch of games on multiple occasions. Against Detroit, he completely shut down All-NBA centerJalen Duren and thoroughly outplayed him.
This includes his Game 7 performance where he scored 21 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out six assists, and had two steals and two blocks as well. Only four other players in NBA history had that statline in a Game 7.
Statistically, it was Mobley’s strongest postseason run to date. Yes, he had a couple rough games, but for the most part, he showed that he is a playoff player with room to grow. He’s the kind of player you keep banking on, not give up on. Trading him for Antetokounmpo, who is older, has an injury history, and will require upending the entire structure that was built, would be a mistake. The kind you cannot come back from.
Cleveland will be at the center of the NBA offseason for a lot of reasons, but trading away Mobley would be a big mistake. You don’t trade away a player with his versatility on both ends. You continue to develop him and put him in positions to succeed.
The offensive growth has to come. The shooting consistency has to return. We know how much Kenny Atkinson has poured into player development and how much Koby Altman believes in Mobley. That has to continue this summer, so by next season, Mobley is back in the All-Star and All-NBA conversation.
Add us as a preferred source on Google