While the Cleveland Cavaliers won't begin Summer League play in Las Vegas for a few days, a handful of teams got their summer play started at smaller events in Utah and California. That included the Golden State Warriors, who saw a face familiar to the Cavaliers play a large role: Isaiah Mobley.
The Cavaliers and Warriors are not rivals in the classic sense of being located close together, but their four-straight battles in the NBA Finals certainly bred a lot of animosity. Yet this is the NBA, and players have still moved between the two teams, whether that was Anderson Varajao or JaVale McGee in past years or Ty Jerome much more recently.
The latest, at least in an initial sense, is Isaiah Mobley. The older brother of Evan Mobley was drafted by the Cavaliers in the 2022 NBA Draft and spent two seasons in Cleveland. Signed to a two-way contract, he spent most of his time with the Cleveland Charge, the franchise's G League affiliate.
Mobley was that unique and difficult to evaluate type of player who plays extremely well in the G League but can't keep up when he is facing full NBA competition. He played just 22 games and 156 total minutes for the Cavaliers, scoring 54 points, pulling in 30 rebounds and being generally too slow defensively to survive.
Isaiah Mobley is on an NBA journey
Cleveland did not retain Mobley after the 2023-24 season and he caught on briefly with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing in just a single game at the very end of the season. He flashed improved playmaking as a big man but continued to struggle defensively and as an efficient scorer.
Yet there is something there, and the Golden State Warriors saw enough to sign him to their Summer League Team. Mobley is a Summer League veteran, having dominated two years ago to win the MVP of the Championship Game for a triumphant Cavaliers squad that also included Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr.
The Warriors do not have their two-way spots spoken for, and Mobley has one year remaining of eligibility, so he has a shot to earn a place on their roster. Given their need for big man depth, the door is open if he can push through it.
So far, so good for the elder Mobley. Isaiah came off the bench in the Warriors' first Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers and scored a team-high 13 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and adding a trio of assists, which don't come easily in Summer League play.
In his second game, Mobley moved into the starting lineup and again played extremely well. He scored 16 points against the San Antonio Spurs on 5-for-9 shooting, getting to the line for seven free-throw attempts. While the Warriors ultimately lose by two points, Mobley was a game-high +17 in his 22 minutes.
Beating up on overmatched non-NBA bigs is one thing; Mobley has to prove himself above stiffer competition. On a Warriors Summer League team devoid of high-pedigree bigs, however, he will have a chance. Now it's up to him to take advantage. If he can, he may get to play against his brother for the first time.