Evan Mobley Urged to 'Take Over' Cavaliers Next Season

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes doesn't care that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are on the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

He wants Evan Mobley to "take over" next season. 

"We wouldn't keep asking for so much if we didn't think Mobley was capable of delivering it," Hughes wrote. 

Mobley has been with the Cavaliers since 2021. He holds career averages of 16.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. The USC product won the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year award. 

The Cavaliers made the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since 2018. They lost to the New York Knicks in four games and Mobley was outplayed by Karl-Anthony Towns.

Cleveland wasn't interested in trading Mobley to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who got traded to the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers also had no interest in trading Mobley for Jaylen Brown, who got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers then signed Dean Wade and LeBron James. 

Mobley is under major pressure to play like a superstar next season. If he doesn't, the Cavaliers will regret not moving him for Brown or Antetokounmpo, two former Finals MVPs. 

"Mobley regressed on offense last season, most notably by shooting 29.7 percent from deep after hitting 37.0 percent in 2024-25," Hughes wrote. "He needs to reclaim the gains he made as a shooter, get back into the DPOY conversation and prove he can consistently create shots for others."

The Cavaliers will start Harden, Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Mobley and Jarrett Allen next season. Yes, Mitchell and Harden are future Hall of Famers, but for Cleveland to win a title, Mobley has to be the team's best player. 

"Mitchell is a star, but he generally falls somewhere in the 6-10 range when ranking the league's best players in a given year," Hughes wrote. "For Cleveland to improve on last year's Conference Finals run, Mobley must clearly surpass Mitchell in its hierarchy, marrying Defensive Player of the Year work on one end with at least All-Star-caliber offensive production."

Cleveland opens next season against LeBron and the 76ers in Philadelphia. That will be an electric atmosphere.         

If the Cavaliers falter in the 2027 playoffs, don't be surprised if Mitchell, Harden and Allen are not on the team in 2027-28.