Evan Mobley’s $45M Bonus Could Force Cavaliers Into Major Cost-Cutting Moves

Evan Mobley’s breakout season has triggered a financial domino effect in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers are now facing one of the toughest offseasons in recent franchise history. 

With Mobley earning Defensive Player of the Year, being named First Team All-Defense, and Second Team All-NBA, his supermax rookie extension will pay him $269 million over five years, a staggering $45 million increase from the original $224 million deal.

While the Cavaliers are thrilled with Mobley’s development as a two-way anchor and franchise cornerstone, the financial ramifications of his elevated contract are immense. 

Cleveland was already a second-apron team under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, but Mobley’s raise will now push them deeper into luxury tax territory. 

In fact, the Cavaliers are projected to face a massive luxury tax bill this upcoming season, a reality that ownership may not be willing to tolerate, especially after a second-round playoff flameout.

This situation is further complicated by the expensive long-term deals already on the books for Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. With Mobley’s new deal, Cleveland’s flexibility is virtually non-existent. 

They cannot aggregate salaries for larger trades, cannot use the full mid-level exception, and will face restrictions on future draft pick maneuvering. In short, something’s got to give.

That “something” may come in the form of breaking up the core. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Garland and Allen are no longer considered untouchable. 

Garland’s postseason inconsistency and Allen’s durability concerns have sparked internal discussions about trading one or both players to regain flexibility and better build around Mitchell and Mobley.

Garland, though talented and young, struggled in the playoffs, averaging just 14 points on poor efficiency after missing the first two games of the Indiana series. Allen, once a pillar of the team’s defense, was a virtual non-factor against Indiana, scoring only 11 points across Games 4 and 5 combined.

The Cavs now face a crucial choice: stay loyal to a core that helped lift them out of the post-LeBron doldrums, or take a calculated risk and retool the roster to extend their championship window. 

Mobley’s evolution into one of the league’s premier big men gives them a defensive identity. Mitchell, entering his prime, remains an offensive dynamo. But surrounding those two with the right personnel, while managing the punitive tax implications, is the challenge ahead.

There’s also speculation that Mobley’s ascension could push Jarrett Allen out of Cleveland to allow Mobley full-time center responsibilities, a move many scouts believe will unlock his full offensive potential.

One thing is clear: the Cavaliers’ front office has no choice but to make bold, potentially unpopular decisions. 

Keeping all four stars is financially untenable. Mobley’s rise has elevated the team’s ceiling, but it’s also raised the financial floor. Whether it’s Garland, Allen, or even a surprise move involving other rotation pieces, the Cavs’ next steps will define the franchise’s future for years to come.