Evan Mobley, Cavaliers Agree on 5-Year, $224 Million Rookie Contract Extension

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley has agreed to a five-year, $224 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday night.

Drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, Mobley has developed into one of the NBA's top young players. His new contract could reach up to $269 million if he meets certain incentives, the source said, requesting anonymity as the terms are not yet finalized.

Mobley's agents, Joe Smith and Thad Foucher, initially disclosed the extension to ESPN. Negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks.

This extension is part of a productive offseason for the Cavaliers. After hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach, the team also signed All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to a three-year, $150.3 million extension.

Mitchell and Mobley are central to Cleveland's recent success, contributing to 99 wins over the past two seasons. The Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the playoffs this year before being defeated by the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, in five games.

In his first three NBA seasons, Mobley has averaged 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Known for his defensive prowess, the former USC standout is expected to enhance his offensive capabilities under Coach Atkinson.

“We can schematically get the ball in his hands more,” Atkinson stated at his introductory press conference.

Mobley missed a significant portion of the regular season last year, playing in only 50 games due to arthroscopic knee surgery in December. Despite injuries to Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen, Mobley increased his performance in the postseason, averaging 21.4 points per game against the Celtics, including a playoff-high 33 points in Cleveland's final game.