Cavs’ Evan Mobley Named NBA Defensive Player Of The Year

Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley has always been a pretty elite defensive player, altering shots, protecting the basket, capable of getting out on the perimeter and slowing down opposing wings.

Now, he’s being honored for it.

Per an announcement from the league, Mobley is the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. Well-deserved, no doubt.

For the record, he is the first player in Cavs history to win the award. 

“Me. 4. Evan Mobley, DPOY,” Mobley said last month, making his own case for the award. “Just go out there, play my brand of basketball, try not to talk too much. Defense wins championships.”

The Cavaliers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference (64-18), and currently lead their first-round playoff series vs. the Miami Heat by a 2-0 count.

Coach Kenny Atkinson said Mobley’s case for Defensive Player of the Year could be made through analytics.

“It’s just one simple stat — how we’re rated defensively with him on the court and then without him,” Atkinson explained. “Koby (Altman) always says this. He impacts winning and defense at a level he’s never seen, and he has done it since he’s been in the league.

“This is not to put down any of the other candidates, he has won and leads a top 10 defense. Usually that lines up with Defensive Player of the Year.”

Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals during the regular season.

“He doesn’t hack. He doesn’t scream at the refs. He goes and blocks shots,” Cavs star point guard Darius Garland said. 

As our Ashish Mathur wrote earlier, the award will come with a big of a pay raise.

“The Cavs signed Mobley five-year, $224 million extension in 2024. The deal includes designated rookie language, so the contract could be worth 27.5% or 30% of the cap,” Mathur wrote. “If Mobley wins the Defensive Player of the Year Award or makes one of the three All-NBA teams this year, he will earn an extra $45 million.”

Mobley admitted the award was something he would cherish.

“Definitely, it was a goal of mine coming into this year, and I mean, I put all the work in, so it’s a big day,” he said. “But I’m trying to be as focused as possible on the playoffs and just trying to go as far as we can.”

Mobley beat out second-place finisher Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks) and third-place vote-getter Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors). Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets) also received first-place votes.