Cavaliers star Evan Mobley earns $45 million in just one day

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Evan Mobley's first four seasons have been the life force of the franchise's return to NBA contention.

Since his rookie season, Mobley has helped lead the Cavs to a top defense and has helped his team reach the postseason every year. After first falling short in the Play-In Tournament, Mobley and the Cavaliers have grown side-by-side (with the addition of Donovan Mitchell in 2022) to become the Eastern Conference's best squad entering the 2025 playoffs.

Mobley's continued excellence has paid off, culminating in the young star being crowned the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year as the first Cavalier to receive such an honor. With his first DPOY in the books, Mobley's Cleveland tenure has been nothing short of historic. In his sophomore season, he joined an elite list of players to be named to the All-Defensive teams after just two years. Since his opening night, Mobley has been one of the league's most versatile and impactful defenders.

The Cavaliers knew they found something special in Mobley, signing him to a maximum rookie extension this summer; however, that extension had bonuses depending on how much further he could develop. Despite his impression talent, Mobley fell short of Rookie of the Year and DPOY earlier in his career, and he had yet to grow into his offensive game and be named in All-Star.

Winning DPOY just made Evan Mobley a lot more money with the Cavs

Now, with the DPOY trophy in his case, Mobley is set for a big payday with the Cavs. The extension's bonus included a steep pay raise for Mobley if he earned the award. According to Bobby Marks, the All-Star big's contract increases by roughly $45 million through its expiration in the 2030 offseason.

Entering next season, will be tied with Donovan Mitchell for the highest-paid Cavaliers on the roster at 30 percent of the salary cap. In total, Cleveland's core four of Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen will cost the franchise $152,234,290 in the 2025-26 season. As Marks notes, the rest of Cleveland's current guaranteed salaries puts them at $219 million, substantially over the new and restrictive second apron.

While Mobley adds nearly $8 million to his price tag next season with his achievement, it only pushes the Cavs further into the second apron. The Cavs' three extensions last summer to Allen, Mitchell and Mobley guaranteed the franchise would enter the daunting realm of trade and financial restrictions already. All four of Cleveland's stars are on maximum deals, with Allen's kicking in as of the 2026-27 season.

These financial implications were a driving force in Cleveland's trade deadline focus. While the Cavs knew they would exceed the luxury tax threshold imminently, avoiding it this season could allow Cleveland to stay competitive for longer before the repeat-offender tax stacks up. By trading for De'Andre Hunter at the buzzer, the Cavaliers not only dropped below the tax line but also added another long-term, young role player to the contending franchise.

Evan Mobley's new hardware has significant implications for his future financially, but also on the court. Mobley also earned his first All-Star nod and is in contention for the All-NBA roster. Recently, The Ringer ranked Mobley as the league's 13th-best player, just four spots below his teammate Mitchell. The rising Cavalier star is not only a game changer defensively, but he is a true two-way threat, helping propel the Cleveland Cavaliers back into NBA Finals contention.

This latest award only signifies what Cavs fans already knew. Evan Mobley is special.