When the draft lottery concluded, I thought it was going to be a foregone conclusion that the Cavaliers were going to end up with Jalen Green. However, as reports have came out, that doesn't appear to be as likely. As time goes on and the draft gets closer and closer, it seems more and more likely that Green could go to Houston at #2 or even Detroit at #1. The result is Mobley being on the board for Cleveland to take with the 3rd pick.
Mobley is the definition of a modern big. Long and lanky with unheard of defensive versatility. It seems like there's nothing he can't do on that end of the floor. He's outstanding at defending pick and rolls, shot blocking, and can even switch onto guards. On the offensive end, he's great in the pick and roll, especially in the short roll. Mobley has a good enough pull-up midrange jumper, good handle for a 7-footer, and is a phenomenal passer who's always ready to make the right play. He projects to be a #2 or #3 on offense and a defensive anchor on a championship team. The biggest issue with Mobley right now is the lack of strength. At 7' 215lbs, he certainly can get bullied by stronger NBA players. As a result, he probably won't play center right away, and will spend time at the 4 for a couple years before he can fully take over at center. There's also a chance he just stays one of those guys like Anthony Davis and to an extent Bam Adebayo, where they're very clearly best at center but play power forward for the regular season to preserve their bodies.
This predicament of Mobley not being a center yet will cause some roster issues that need to be sorted out. Mobley is an okay 3pt shooter with potential, but relegating him to spot ups when he's at the 4 is certainly not a good decision. However, when he does have the ball, there's always going to be another center on the floor with him clogging the paint. It's just not a good fit offensively to have him at the 4. Defensively it makes a lot of sense though, having him at the 4 allows him to roam and bring help when needed, and being on the perimeter should hide his strength flaws until he grows out of them. Taking all this into account, the best pairing in the frontcourt for Mobley would be a shooting center, one that can spot up and space the floor while Mobley does all his damage in the interior with his pick and rolls, handle, playmaking, push shots, and finishing around the rim. As you can probably expect, I already solved this problem:
In this trade, the Cavs get their stretch-5 who can defend at an elite level, while also freeing up minutes for Mobley at the 4. As for the Pacers, they get Larry Nance, who can allow them to finally move Sabonis, their All-Star, to center full time, while also putting defense around him to hide his flaws on that end. Overall I think Nance would be a great fit in Indiana as they move on from the failed frontcourt pairing of Turner and Sabonis. The fit between the two was always awkward, and the numbers back that up. In over 1,000 minutes played together last season, Turner and Sabonis had a net rating of -3.1 when the team as a whole was an even 0.0. As for picking which to keep between Turner and Sabonis, it certainly was a debate in the past, but Sabonis solidified himself as a cornerstone of this Pacers era. Moving forward with him and adjusting the team to fit him better should definitely be within Indiana's best interests.
Indiana after this trade would have a starting lineup that should look something like Brogdon, LeVert, Warren, Nance, Sabonis, with a collection of players off the bench between the Holiday brothers, Jeremy Lamb, Oshae Brissett, TJ McConnell and Doug McDermott if they decide to return on new deals, and others. Put simply I just think this would be beneficial for Indiana.
As for the Cleveland side, there are some other roster moves to be made. The glaring issue trading for Turner creates is what to do with Jarrett Allen. The Cavs traded for him this past season to be their franchise center, yet would have already traded for what appears to be his replacement. In my opinion, I think he just walks or agrees to a sign and trade in this hypothetical. Allen has some rumored destinations, mostly just Charlotte, but there are more teams than just Charlotte that would make offers. Honestly I'd be okay with just picks, we shouldn't need too much in terms of players. The other move is to buyout Love, but that's going to need to be done regardless.
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