Cavaliers to sign star big man to five-year max extension

The extension will begin with a $38,661,750 salary for the 2025-26 season, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Mobley’s salary will increase to $41,754,690, $44,847,630, $47,940,570 and $51,033,510 over the following four years while his percentage of the cap declines from 25% at the start to 22.5% in 2029-30.

Gozlan notes that the Cavaliers project to be over the tax threshold for 2025-26, but aren’t currently in danger of crossing into second apron territory.

Mobley has become one of the franchise cornerstones in Cleveland since being selected with the third pick in the 2021 draft. Although injuries limited him to 50 games last season, he scored 15.7 PPG and set career highs by averaging 9.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 58% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.

Mobley will earn $11.2M for the upcoming season in what will be the final year of his rookie deal.

It’s the second significant signing of the summer for the Cavs, who inked Donovan Mitchell to a three-year extension earlier this month. Cleveland now has about $125M committed to Mobley, Mitchell and Darius Garland for the 2025-26 season, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Mobley becomes the fourth member of the 2021 draft class to receive a max extension, following Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Orlando’s Franz Wagner. Teams can sign their 2021 first-round picks to extensions until the day before the start of the regular season. The full list of players eligible for rookie scale deals can be found here.