Brian Windhorst Points to Evan Mobley Decision in Cavaliers' LeBron James Miss

ESPN's Brian Windhorst placed the criticism of the Cleveland Cavaliers and their failed pursuit of LeBron James on a single roster decision.

"If you want to criticize Koby, you can criticize him for choosing Evan, and we'll see over the next few years if that fidelity to Evan Mobley was the smart call or not," Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland.

Koby Altman has run Cleveland's basketball operations since 2017. Altman signed Mobley to a five-year, $269,085,780 extension on July 22, 2024, and the deal carries a base salary of $50,105,628 for the 2026-27 season. Mobley cannot reach unrestricted free agency until 2030.

Asked in the same episode whether the Cavaliers should have considered a Mobley-for-Jaylen Brown swap to land James, Windhorst answered by pointing to where James signed.

"He went to the team that traded for Jaylen Brown," Windhorst said.

James agreed Friday to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers that includes a player option in the second season, agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told ESPN's Shams Charania. Philadelphia acquired Brown from the Boston Celtics on July 1 for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. Paul had told the Los Angeles Lakers a day earlier that James would not return.

The Cavaliers, 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat were the four teams James seriously considered.

Through the 2025-26 regular season, Mobley averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks while shooting 54.6% from the field. Cleveland drafted him third overall in 2021 out of USC. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2025.

At his year-end press conference in May, Altman was asked directly whether Mobley remained part of the franchise's long-term plans and said that he did.

The executive who assembled Philadelphia's roster this summer spent 15 years in Cleveland. Mike Gansey agreed on May 29 to become the 76ers' president of basketball operations after four seasons as Cavaliers general manager, and the Brown trade was his first move in the job.

Cleveland went 52-30 last season and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors in seven games and the Detroit Pistons in seven games before the New York Knicks swept them in the conference finals. It was Cleveland's first trip to the conference finals since 2018.

In February, the Cavaliers sent Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden. Garland is a Klutch Sports client. Harden holds a $42.3 million player option for 2026-27, of which $13.3 million is guaranteed, and he remains unsigned.

Cleveland lost three rotation players in free agency. Dean Wade signed a four-year, $39 million contract with the 76ers. Keon Ellis left as well, and Larry Nance Jr. signed with the Indiana Pacers. Wade averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds last season and shot 36.2% from three.

On draft night the Cavaliers traded the No. 29 pick to the Sacramento Kings for the No. 34 pick and a future second-round pick. Cleveland used the No. 34 pick on Meleek Thomas. Thomas earned first-team honors at the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Donovan Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists last season while shooting 48.3% from the field and 36.4% from three.

Cleveland has stayed in contact about a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Dennis Schröder is under contract for $14.8 million next season and $15.5 million in 2027-28.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson enters his third season in Cleveland as the team looks to break through to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018.

Training camps around the league open in late September.