Cavaliers

Cavs’ Evan Mobley Ineligible For 2024 Max Deal After Donovan Mitchell Trade

September 6, 2022

Without question, the Cavaliers were thrilled to have landed Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Jazz — and without question, they are focused on this season.

But the trade may have created a small salary issue for them when it comes to the future of another standout player. That would be none other than Evan Mobley, who finished last season as runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting.

As relayed by Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps on the Hoop Collective podcast, the Cavs currently have two players on five-year designated rookie scale max extensions — Mitchell, and Darius Garland. NBA rules prohibit them from having a third simultaneously.

That leads us to Mobley, who will be eligible for a five-year extension in 2024. But if Mitchell and Garland remain on the roster, he’ll have to wait until restricted free agency in 2025 to sign that five-year max.

Of course, Mobley could always sign a four-year max extension in 2024 — an arrangement that would make him an unrestricted free agent one season earlier.

Again, this isn’t considered a major issue, or something that currently has the Cavs or Mobley concerned. The Pelicans were in a similar situation with Brandon Ingram, and he still ended up with a five-year extension, receiving it as a restricted free agent, as opposed to coming off his rookie deal.

However the Cavs go about it, though, the plan is to have Mitchell, Garland and Mobley on the roster for the long-term, building around those three and Jarrett Allen.

Last season, they finished 44-38 and just missed the playoffs, after suffering a bevy of key injuries. The addition of Mitchell is expected to take them to another level.

Mobley, 21, is 7-foot-0 and averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 69 games as a rookie.

For more on the Mitchell trade, check out my video analysis of how he sets up the Cavs to be contenders right here, and listen to the Cavs on the Break podcast right here. I also wrote some Dribbles on the deal, which you can read right here.