Cavaliers: Evan Mobley signed, sealed and ready to deliver

INDEPENDENCE — It was a no-brainer that the Cavaliers would exercise the fourth-year option on forward/center Evan Mobley's 2024-25 contract Thursday. The real challenge for Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman will be whether he can convince Mobley to sign a contract extension this summer to keep him with the team for the foreseeable future. Altman could be quite busy this summer with All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell also eligible to sign a maximum extension. Mitchell could have signed an extension this past summer but put the important decision off until this season is over. Owner Dan Gilbert will be opening his wallet for some major dollars this summer if both Mobley and Mitchell are signed. The 7-foot, 215-pound Mobley will likely start at center in the final preseason game tonight against the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Starting center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined with a bone bruise in his ankle, which has caused him to miss the majority of the preseason. "He's been out before," Mobley said Thursday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "We have some other guys who can step in in his place. Other guys just have to step up and play, especially on defense." Mobley's eager for the start of the regular season Wednesday in Brooklyn not just because he likes what he sees from the team but also because he wants to get a feel for how all the things he's been working on translate to real games. "I feel real confident in our team in what we've done in training camp leading up to now," he said. "I'm definitely excited and ready to go. I've definitely been working on my threes, my face-up game and my midrange game, as well. I'm trying to show my full arsenal this year."" While he'll do most of his damage around the basket, the Cavs seem bent on turning Mobley into a 3-point shooter even though he made just .216 from the arc last year. But with that, fans can expect him to have the ball in his hands a lot more this year. "A lot of rebound and push (the ball up court), a lot of playmaking and a lot of my face-up game, as well," Mobley said. "These are aspects I've been working on all summer. I think you're going to see that in a lot of games coming up." The third-year player from the University of Southern California has high hopes for this year, including earning a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. "I feel this year, I'm going to step up my game and play to my best ability," Mobley said. "Hopefully, that gives me an All-Star role." He said he wants to showcase his talents and "prove to people that I'm going to be a star. "I can be one of the star players out here. I want to come out here and stay confident, do what I worked on all summer and complete that task and be the best I can be." Mobley played in a team-high 79 games (all starts) last season and averaged career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (9.0), assists (2.8), minutes (34.4) and field goal percentage (.554, 17th-best in NBA), along with 1.5 blocks (ninth in the NBA) and 0.76 steals. He was also named first-team All-Defense and second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. The future looks bright for Mobley, who veteran teammate Tristan Thompson is calling a young Anthony Davis. "When (Davis is) healthy, he's a top five player in our league," Thompson said. "Evan has that kind of talent. Evan is only getting better. I told him, 'You have to be like Anthony Davis to this team.' "I'm going to stay on him all year. That's what I see in him. I know how great he can be. The sky is the limit for him." CENTER OF ATTENTION: Allen was on the court shooting around Thursday when the media allowed in though Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he didn't practice. The center's two-week evaluation is coming up soon. DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER: Bickerstaff said there's nothing new on guard Ricky Rubio, who continues his excused absence from the team. Even if Rubio doesn't report, he'll occupy a spot on the 15-man roster. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com and follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.