Evan Mobley is still the largest question mark hovering over the Cleveland Cavaliers' season. Whether he can resurrect last year's breakout offensive game and regain his stardom could define much of the second half of the regular season in Cleveland.
In his fifth season, Mobley is averaging 18 points, 4 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game. His scoring efficiency has dropped to a near career-low 51.2 percent from the field. He is shooting 33.1 percent on three-pointers, and his assist average is a career-high mark.
Even with numbers comparable to last year, Mobley's aggression and consistency has faced a painful decline. He has not shown the assertive nature the Cavs have desperately pushed him to show.
If the Cavaliers hope to reclaim dominance in the Eastern Conference, the team has to make the obvious decision they have foreshadowed for years.
Since Mobley's arrival to the NBA in 2021, his eventual role as the Cavs' full-time center has been a presumption every year. In October 2025, Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor wrote on the topic, suggesting a potential shift to Mobley as the center sooner rather than later.
The Cavaliers are ignoring the inevitable that they created
The Cavaliers have made it clear they view Mobley as a center. Even if they won't say it, the numbers will. This season, Mobley is playing 70 percent of his minutes at center. He is hardly seeing time at power forward anymore, leaving Jarrett Allen's future in limbo.
Allen has lost his posture with the organization, rarely seeing consistent minutes in the fourth quarter, a topic we have already extensively covered. If the coaching staff does not view Allen as a closing center and plays Mobley so often at Allen's role, it begs the question.
How much longer with the Cavaliers hold onto Allen?
Last week, NBA commentator and analyst Zach Lowe gave a blunt appraisal of Cleveland's frontcourt situation.
"Do we get to the end of the season and just conclude Evan Mobley is a center?... Because you mentioned Jarrett Allen's fourth-quarter minutes dwindling and how much faith do they have in that conversation?"Zach Lowe
His comments came amid an Eastern Conference power ranking episode of the Zach Lowe Podcast, guest starring Fred Katz. Cleveland ranked number four for Lowe, a significant drop from their original position as a definitive top-two contender out East.
Cleveland is seemingly trying to maximize Mobley by playing him at center, but the results have been a mixed bag. While his aggression has been lacking, the Cavs' options to employ next to Mobley at the four spot have been demonstrably underperforming.
Whether it's De'Andre Hunter or Jaylon Tyson, most backup power forwards the Cavaliers have played are more naturally suited for the small forward role, leaving a gap for Mobley to fill. If the Cavs plan to elevate Mobley as a perennial All-Star center, moving on from Allen for a more natural frontcourt partner needs to be a must-have.
Instead, the Cavaliers are seemingly out of the trade market already. With a 22-19 record, good for the seven seed, the Cavs are proudly staying in the second apron and ignoring Mobley's future once again.
For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made it painfully obvious that Mobley is going to be moved to the center position in time. Rather than capitalizing on last year's progress, they are holding back and ignoring their own plans. As trade packages for stars reach new all-time lows, the Cavs may be delaying an inevitable bad trade for Allen, preventing them from getting past the initial setback they've set themselves up to face.