Report: Cavaliers' Mozgov won't sign an extension this summer
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Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov won't sign a contract extension this summer, instead looking to land a larger payday next offseason, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto.
With the salary cap set to soar upwards of $89 million in 2016-17, the 7-foot-1 big man could be in high demand should he continue his strong 2014-15 performance into this season.
Mozgov technically isn't eligible for an extension - his previous contract wasn't long enough to qualify - but even if he were, signing one would make little financial sense.
The league's collective bargaining agreement is restrictive on the terms of extensions, rendering talks moot in this case. The most the Cavaliers could offer Mozgov were he eligible, is three years and roughly $17.1 million on top of the current year left on his deal, and given the market for centers this offseason, it's a safe bet Mozgov blows by those terms as an unrestricted free agent.
Mozgov, 29, was a revelation for the Cavaliers after being acquired in January, operating as the defensive presence under the basket the team so desperately needed following Anderson Varejao's Achilles injury. The team's defensive rating (points per 100 possessions) dropped from 105.5 to 102.9 after Mozgov came over from the Denver Nuggets.
The undrafted Russian averaged 10.6 points on 59 percent shooting during the regular season with Cleveland, both career highs. The fifth-year pro will be looking to prove he can maintain that level of production over a full 82-game slate.
Cleveland picked up Mozgov's 2015-16 team option for $4.9 million, a bargain considering some of the deals consummated with other NBA big men in recent months.
Mozgov may see a dip in playing time with a healthy Varejao returning to the rotation and Russian center Sasha Kaun possibly joining the team, but he'll remain the team's best option at the pivot in traditional lineups.