Evan Mobley's Contract Details: An In-Depth Analysis of His New Contract

Evan Mobley's Contract Details: An In-Depth Analysis ...

By Oliver Wiener August 16, 2024 23:33

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Power forward Evan Mobley, one of the latent prospects in this year's league via NBA trade rumors, has also inked a new deal with them that proves he is an important piece to their master plan. We deeply dive into Mobley's brand new deal, covering its duration and total value, average per season payout alongside guaranteed money, the likelihood to achieve bonuses that could push it up higher, and where exactly this stacks against other contracts of note in the NBA.

Contract length

Five years, $224.23 million. It was officially agreed to on July 22, 2024, and signified the Cavaliers' belief in Mobley as a core cog of their franchise. The contract ensures Mobley will be with the Cavaliers through the 2029-30 season to help Cleveland build around its star forward and other prominent members of their core.

Average Annual Salary

Mobley's new contract does have an average annual salary of $44.85 million but is not fully guaranteed in the final year. This is calculated by taking it against the total contract value and dividing that by how many years. Mobley's contract is especially interesting as a player on the verge of NBA stardom because it is maximum salary-based. Mobley earns north of this most year, which easily makes him one of the five or ten highest-paid players in the NBA, considering his play to date, for what he has done thus far vs. how good he could be.

Guarantee vs. No Guarantee breakdown

The injury is a nightmare for Mobley, who will now be paid $224.23 million over five seasons on a fully guaranteed contract ($179m value + extension), regardless of his play or health due to the full guarantee built into it based on injury. It is standard for most top NBA contracts, especially when dealing with a player as talented as Mobley. By not including player or team options in the deal, it seems Cleveland is showing further confidence around what Mobley can do and how he fits within its grand plans.

Guaranteed Money Breakdown

All Guaranteed: $224.23 million
Contract Duration: 5 years
Yearly Salary: $44.85 million

Contract Includes Compensation and Bonuses

Though the exact details on Mobley's contract do not reveal anything particularly unique regarding performance-based incentives, it does feature a 15% trade kicker. Before the conclusion of his rookie deal, this is a clause that if Mobley gets traded, he automatically adds 15% more to whatever base salary remains on his contract, setting up an even greater upside if dealt. As this trade kicker shows, the Cavaliers know what they have in Mobley and that NBA transactions can relate to a malleable entity.

Potential As Seen Through The Contract Terms

Mobley is on this list so soon into his career due largely to the quality and performance of coach JB Bickerstaff, as noted earlier, which speaks volumes about how much he has already developed. Mobley has quickly become one of the league's top defenders since being selected with the No. 3 pick in his draft class, finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting this past season. The versatility he brings to coach J.B. Bickerstaff will help offset that and add another positive for the Cavaliers on both sides of the ball.

Performance Metrics

In the 2023-24 season, Mobley has played even better, downloading an all-around game that includes impressively averages of 15.7 points and rebounds per game with three assists to boot. Those shooting splits of 58.0 percent FG, 37.3 percent 3FG, and 71.9FT% highlight how efficient he is offensively, where his scoring ability also shines in tons. His current contributions are emphasized in these stats, but based on them, they portend an upside as he matures.

Future Potential

The Cavaliers were buying into that by selecting Mobley, a player they believed could become a competent all-star and floor leader. His signing on such a team-friendly contract for the immediate future with no options implies some sustained belief in his bright future and role as one of their core pieces to compete at an elite level.

Mobley's contract has an enormous total value of $224.23 million over five years, just short of the max with a per-season average salary of nearly $44.85 million and complete guarantee protections overlapping with league elite players in NBA history if he maintains good health throughout his career.

Mobley hopes this is just the first of several massive paydays as he continues to improve and becomes even more influential in raising Cleveland's profile. The Cavaliers' decision to invest in Mobley mirrors where they think he is as a player. However, they also anticipate his potential to oversee the culture shift that will one day bring Cleveland back to relevance.

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