Evan Mobley Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Notes: Rubio, Mobley, Sexton, Garland

November 8th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Ricky Rubio enjoyed perhaps the best game of his NBA career on Sunday in a win over the Knicks, racking up a career-high 37 points and eight 3-pointers to go along with 10 assists. After the game, however, the veteran Cavaliers point guard was eager to praise one of his young teammates, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details.

“He’s special and he will be special,” Rubio said of rookie big man Evan Mobley. “We don’t even know how (high) his potential can be. … He’s really mature for his age. He knows how to play the game the right way. Scoring 26 points your first game in MSG is hard to do. We’re proud to have a teammate like him. It’s fun.”

While Mobley’s 26 points were a career high, he also contributed to the victory in several other ways, adding nine rebounds and five assists while anchoring the Cavs’ defense, writes Fedor. The 20-year-old was a plus-26 on the night.

Since LeBron James‘ exit from Cleveland in 2018, the team has sought a young star to build around, and Mobley is showing strong signs he’s capable of being that player.

“He’s earned our trust. We can depend on him,” Bickerstaff said. “How many 19- or 20-year-olds can you say that about?”

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton exited Sunday’s game early due to a left knee injury and will be further evaluated on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. A source tells Fedor that Sexton felt discomfort after bumping knees with teammate Jarrett Allen in the second quarter. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was unable to provide an update after the game.
Darius Garland is exhibiting growth across the board early in his third NBA season, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Garland, who has posted career-best rates in APG (7.6), FG% (.476), and 3PT% (.440) so far, is still working on becoming a more vocal on-court leader and finding a balance between making plays for teammates and seeking out his own shot, Russo notes. Garland will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2022 offseason.
For more out of Cleveland, be sure to check out our Cavs team page.

Eastern Notes: Mobley, LeBron, Celtics, Bucks, Dragic

October 30th, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar LeBron James praised Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley after Los Angeles beat Cleveland 113-101 on Friday night. Mobley finished with 23 points, six rebounds and two steals in just his sixth NBA game, catching James’ eye.

“He’s going to be a damn good basketball player in this league,” James said, according to Mark Medina of NBA.com. “Cleveland has a good one. They’ve done a good job over the years in the draft, I’ll say.”

Cleveland has started Mobley alongside Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen, deploying one of the biggest lineups in the league. The 20-year-old was selected by the team No. 3 overall in July’s draft.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston examines potential trade targets for the Celtics, noting that any acquisition should fit well alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston has opened the season with a 2-3 record, sporting a rotation that includes new additions Dennis Schroder, Al Horford and Josh Richardson.
The Bucks will visit the White House on November 8, becoming the first team to do so since 2016, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports. Milwaukee will celebrate winning the 2020/21 NBA championship — its first since 1971.
Raptors guard Goran Dragic received his second straight DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) on Friday, Michael Grange of Sportsnet tweets. “He’s a very approachable guy, very professional guy,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Dragic. “I talk to him everyday and I pretty much just tell him to stay ready… We’ll see where it goes from there.” Dragic is still viewed as a strong candidate to be traded during the season.

Eastern Notes: Rose, Magic Injuries, Jackson, Markkanen

October 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Rose considered retirement a few years ago due to persistent knee injuries, but he doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “Hopefully, I’m going to try to Tom Brady this thing, play as long as possible, make sure I really take care of my body,” he said. “And if I’m playing play with joy. I don’t have to score 30 points a night anymore to affect the game.” Rose re-signed with the Knicks on a three-year deal this summer.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Magic fans are irritated by the team’s lack of transparency regarding injury updates on Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac and Chuma Okeke, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Fultz and Isaac are still rehabbing from knee injuries, while Okeke has been out since training camp with a bone bruise in his hip. No timetable has been announced for any of those players.
Rookie forward Isaiah Jackson will be “out for a while,” according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, due to a hamstring injury, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star reports. The 22nd pick of the draft was injured during the Pacers’ game on Wednesday. “He’s walking in a brace, so that’s good good news, compared to the severity that there could have been,” Carlisle said.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff credits Lauri Markkanen with making the team’s jumbo lineup effective, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic writes. Markkanen has played small forward in lineups with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the floor. “The biggest shoutout has to go to Lauri Markkanen,” Bickerstaff said of the former Bulls forward. “To me, he’s the reason why it works. His willingness to do that, and again, sacrifice some comfort. He’s the reason why we’ve been able to get away with it so far and why it’s been able to work.”

Central Notes: DeRozan, Allen, Mobley, Bucks

October 26th, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have adopted an aggressive strategy to win right away, which made them a perfect fit for what DeMar DeRozan was looking for in free agency, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Since last season’s trade deadline, Chicago has been pushing to build a playoff-ready roster, which included pursuing DeRozan even after adding Lonzo Ball. The early results have been positive as the Bulls are the NBA’s lone 4-0 team and the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference.

DeRozan’s value was on display Monday night in a gritty road victory against the Raptors. With a large second-half lead in danger of slipping away, he hit a series of important buckets to close out the game.

“That was part of the reason why I even chose to come to Chicago, everyone was eager to want to be successful, to want to win,” DeRozan said. “Everybody had that chip on their shoulder from the city, to the organization, to the players that I spoke to. Coming into this season, that was everybody’s mindset. ‘It’s all about winning now. We’re not in a development stage. We want to win now.’ That was my mindset.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jarrett Allen looked worthy of the Cavaliers‘ $100MM investment during Monday’s win at Denver, observes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Allen put up 21 points and 16 rebounds in a virtual standoff against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. “It’s hard to put in words, but Jarrett Allen has my full trust,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “He has my full trust that what we’re doing as a team is more important than anything that could happen for him individually. And that comes from time spent last year, a lot of conversations, a lot of time over the summer.”
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is already a standout in a strong rookie class, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. The third overall pick has been as good as advertised defensively while adding another perimeter threat to Cleveland’s offense. Mobley looks capable of becoming “The Guy” on a good team, which is something the Cavs had been missing, says Hollinger.
The Bucks believe last year’s title could be the first of many, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime and a strong supporting cast in place, Milwaukee may be the team to beat for several years. “We definitely have a lot more confidence in ourselves,” Khris Middleton said. “It’s natural, we should. We are the champs. We’ve been through every type of situation you could go through. So at the same time, you know what to expect. There’s no need to worry about failing because you know what you need to do.”

Central Notes: Cunningham, Green, Pacers, Mobley

October 24th, 2021 at 1:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham is set to miss Detroit’s entire early-season road trip due to a lingering ankle injury, but could be ready to make his NBA debut on October 30 against the Magic, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Cunningham, 20, is apparently still dealing with some soreness.

“Last week, we made the decision to make sure we bring him back gradually, where he’d get some time with the G League team (the Motor City Cruise), practice with them, and get some reps with them,” head coach Dwane Casey said of the top draft pick out of Oklahoma State. “The medical people are holding back — and rightfully so… You don’t want to rush him back if it’s not 100%. That’s the one thing that they want to make sure of, that it was 100%, because there were certain movements he had that were still sore.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Reserve forward Javonte Green has already endeared himself to the Bulls faithful since coming over to Chicago at the 2021 trade deadline, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Tribune. “(Green is) one of the biggest energy guys we have,’’ Bulls starting point guard Lonzo Ball said. “Not only running the lane but playing defense. He can guard a lot of different positions, and he uses his hands very well… We definitely feed off of that when he comes into the game.’’
Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb and forward Oshae Brissett are proving their mettle as galvanizing scorers off the bench so far this season, according to Akeem Glaspie of The Indianapolis Star. “A lot of the time the starters are not gonna be able to have it completely going and be able to make shots,” starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “But as long as we defend and the second team comes in and gives us some energy and a spark off the bench offensively, we’re gonna be fine.” Indiana is currently 1-2 in this young season.
Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his assistants have been showing film of some NBA legends to rookie big man Evan Mobley, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Mobley, the third pick in the 2021 draft out of USC, was utilized much like Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett on defense during a 101-95 Cleveland win over the Hawks. He has also watched game tape of future Hall of Fame power forward/center Dirk Nowitzki, as well as current All-Star bigs Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. “He’s asking me to emulate them but knows I’m still my own player,” Mobley said about Bickerstaff’s strategy. “I try to play my game, take bits and pieces from them, but still be myself and play how I play.” Mobley, already the Cavaliers’ starting power forward, is averaging 15.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, 2.3 BPG and 1.3 APG through three games. Cleveland is 1-2 in those contests.

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Hunter, Mobley, Cunningham

October 23rd, 2021 at 3:56pm CST by JD Shaw

The free-agent addition of Kelly Oubre Jr. is a key reason why the Hornets are off to a good start the season, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. Boone also cites the team’s depth, exploring why its success could extend beyond this week.

“We have a very versatile team,” Oubre said. “A group that you can throw any guy in any situation and I strongly believe that we will succeed. It’s the next-man-up mentality, but at the end of the day we are only as good as the next man. So we have to hold each other accountable.”

Oubre struggled in the club’s first game, but the 25-year-old bounced back with a strong performance against Cleveland on Friday: 25 points and three rebounds, shooting 9-of-13 from the floor. He’ll serve as a key cog in the team’s rotation as it looks to make the playoffs this season.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

A healthy De’Andre Hunter could be a difference-maker for the Hawks, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes. The 23-year-old Hunter is in his third season with the team. He appeared in 23 games last season, averaging 15 points per contest on 48% shooting.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examines Evan Mobley‘s debut with the Cavaliers, noting that Mobley finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his first NBA contest. “He played outstanding,” teammate Jarrett Allen said. “He did everything and more you can ask a rookie to do in their first game. Seeing stuff like this coming from his first game, it’s a lot of potential. There’s a lot of, ‘Oh, he’s going to be good. He’s going to get this down.’” Mobley, who then followed that up with a 13-point, five-rebound effort in his second game on Friday, has “changed the trajectory of the franchise,” one source told Fedor.
Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham isn’t accompanying the team for its three-game road trip, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Cunningham will continue rehabbing from an ankle sprain in Detroit. “He’s working. He’s day-to-day, I’m not going to put a timetable on it,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s going to stay here and work while we’re on this trip and make sure he goes through the steps to be ready to play when he’s ready to play.” The Pistons will return home on October 30 for a game against the Magic.

Cavs Notes: Davis, James, Rubio, Garland, Rotation

October 14th, 2021 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ signing of Ed Davis on Wednesday came as a bit of a surprise, given the timing of the move and the fact that Cleveland already has a good amount of frontcourt depth. However, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff pushed for the addition of Davis, who is considered one of the NBA’s best locker-room presences and mentors.

Davis’ one-year, minimum-salary contract is non-guaranteed, per Fedor. However, the expectation is that the veteran center will be part of the Cavaliers’ 15-man roster to start the regular season.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Justin James, who also signed with the Cavs on Wednesday, will likely play in the team’s preseason finale on Friday and will get a chance to earn one of the team’s open two-way slots, says Fedor. If James doesn’t get a two-way contract, he could still become an affiliate player for the Cleveland Charge.
In another story for Cleveland.com, Fedor takes an in-depth look at how the Cavaliers acquired Ricky Rubio early in the offseason and what role they expect him to play in 2021/22. Although Rubio won’t be part of the starting five, Bickerstaff will be counting on him for starter-type minutes, and one member of the organization told Fedor that he thinks the Spaniard will work his way into Cleveland’s closing five.
Fedor adds in the same story that Rubio has taken starting point guard Darius Garland “under his wing.” The two guards, whose lockers are next to each other, talk daily and watch film together, writes Fedor.
After indicating earlier this month that he planned on a 10-man rotation for the regular season, Bickerstaff now thinks the Cavs’ regular rotation could include just nine players, tweets Fedor. Bickerstaff believes the versatility of Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen, along with his desire to have Rubio play starter minutes, reduces the need for a 10th regular.

NBA GMs Like Heat’s Offseason Moves, Nets’ Title Chances

October 5th, 2021 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Nearly half of the NBA’s general managers voted for the Heat as the team that had the best 2021 offseason, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes in his annual survey of the league’s GMs. Miami got 14 of 30 possible votes, while the Lakers picked up five votes. The Nets, Rockets, and Wizards were the other teams picked by multiple GMs as having the best offseason.

The Heat’s acquisition of Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade helped tip the scales in their favor. Asked which offseason player acquisition will make the biggest impact for his new team this season, GMs overwhelmingly chose Lowry — he received 23 of 30 votes. New Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook was the only other player to get multiple votes (five).

Although the Heat and Lakers received high marks from rival GMs for their work over the summer, neither club is considered the title favorite entering the 2021/22 season. That honor belongs to the Nets, who earned 22 votes from GMs for the team that will win the 2022 Finals. The Lakers (five) and Bucks (three) were the only other teams to receive any votes.

Here are a few more of the most interesting responses from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

The Trail Blazers‘ trade for Larry Nance Jr. received the most votes (28%) for the most underrated acquisition of the offseason, with the Nets‘ signing of Patty Mills (17%) and the Wizards‘ addition of Spencer Dinwiddie (14%) also receiving support in that category.
The NBA’s GMs view Rockets guard Jalen Green (47%) and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (40%) as the best bets to win Rookie of the Year, but voted Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley as the rookie who will be the best player in five years. Mobley (33%) narrowly edged out Cunningham (30%) and Green (23%) in that category.
The GMs voted the Magic‘s selection of Jalen Suggs at No. 5 (23%) and the Rockets‘ pick of Alperen Sengun at No. 16 (20%) as the biggest steals of the 2021 draft.
The Bulls (27%) are considered the best bet to be the most improved team in 2021/22, while Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (17%) received the most support as the top breakout candidate.
Following their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks (50%) were overwhelmingly voted as the team with the best young core. The Rockets received three votes, while no other team got more than two.
Only two players received multiple votes when GMs were asked which player they’d want to start a franchise with: Mavericks star Luka Doncic (43%) barely beat out Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (40%).

Cavaliers Notes: Garland, Sexton, Love, Valentine, Mobley

September 29th, 2021 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers want Darius Garland to become more of a team leader as he enters his third NBA season, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Garland has emerged as a dynamic offensive player and appears to be part of the foundation for the rebuilding Cavs. He earned an invitation to the Select Team that scrimmaged the U.S. Olympic squad over the summer and appeared in exhibition games with Team USA.

Cleveland needs to find new leadership after parting with veterans Larry Nance Jr. and Matthew Dellavedova during the offseason. It’s a role that Garland is eager to take on.

“That’s my whole goal this year,” he said. “And then just try to make it as easy as I can for some of the young guys that we have, even though I’m still a young guy. But I’m going to my third year, so I’ve seen a lot, played a lot of games. Just try to do some of the little things that make everybody successful.”

There’s more from Cleveland:

Collin Sexton was reportedly on the trade market this summer, but the Cavaliers weren’t able to find the type of return they wanted, Russo states in the same piece. Sexton will be eligible for a rookie scale extension through October 18, and although general manager Koby Altman refused to talk about negotiations, he said the team hopes to be able to work something out. “We want him here long-term,” Altman said. “And he wants to be here long-term. We’re certainly working with his representation to see that through. But this is someone that’s been with us since the start of this thing, in terms of where we’ve been the last three years. And we love him; we want him here long-term. We’ll deal with that sort of behind closed doors. But the feelings are mutual in terms of something long-term.”
Kevin Love hasn’t talked to Altman or coach J.B. Bickerstaff about his role, but he’s expected to play fewer minutes per game, Russo adds. The team’s top priority for Love will be to keep him away from injuries after he missed 47 games last season.
Denzel Valentine is eager for a new challenge after spending the past five years in Chicago, Russo tweets. The 27-year-old guard signed a two-year deal with the Cavs last week. “I believe in myself. I believe in my abilities,” he said. “It’s been up and down, but I feel like the best basketball is ahead of me. I’m finally getting healthy, finally coming into my own, getting my routines down and I think it’s only up from here.”
The Cavaliers plan to be patient with rookie big man Evan Mobley, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “We will be cautious of too much, too soon, but I think his game is going to dictate what too much is,” Bickerstaff said. “We don’t want to put the weight of the world on his shoulders. We’re building this team and then talent always rises to the top.”

Cavs Rumors: Simmons, Love, Frontcourt, Valentine, Mathews, Windler

September 7th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers, who have been mentioned throughout the summer as a possible Ben Simmons suitor, continue to have interest in landing the Sixers star, writes Marc Stein of Substack.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com mentioned Cleveland’s pursuit of the three time All-Star today as well, adding that the Cavs could enter the fray as a third team in a Simmons trade in order to acquire either Simmons or a different asset, like they did in the James Harden trade to acquire Jarrett Allen (Taurean Prince was also acquired by the Cavs in the Harden deal, and was recently traded to the Timberwolves for Ricky Rubio).

There’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavaliers continue to be in a tough spot with Kevin Love, Fedor notes. Love played just 25 games last season and his impact on the court has diminished over the course of his contract, which still has two years and $60MM remaining. Such a hefty sum will make it difficult to trade Love without attaching assets, which doesn’t interest the Cavs unless they feel the situation becomes untenable. Fedor adds that the previously rumored buyout talks went nowhere, which means the team and player are stuck with each other — for now.
Evan Mobley is the presumed starting power forward for the Cavs, with $100MM man Allen slotting in at center, Fedor opines, which would make newly-acquired Lauri Markkanen the team’s de facto sixth man. How coach J.B. Bickerstaff manages the frontcourt situation is worth monitoring for a number of reasons, particularly because Markkanen was disappointed about coming off the bench for the Bulls last season, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. According to Fedor, the Cavs have talked about having Mobley, Allen, and Markkanen each playing about 26-30 minutes per night.
The Cavs continue to look for wing depth and shooting, Fedor notes, which is crucial to the team’s offensive development. The Cavs were one of the worst shooting teams in the league last season, ranking 25th in FG%, 26th in FT%, 29th in 3PT made, 28th 3PT attempts, and 30th in 3PT%. Sources tell Fedor that Denzel Valentine is interested in Cleveland and that Garrison Mathews could be another possible target.
Dylan Windler, who underwent surgery in April on his left knee, isn’t a lock to be ready for the start of training camp, says Fedor.