NBA Trade Rumors: Teams Are Calling for Timofey Mozgov
Rumor has it that Timofey Mozgov is garnering trade interest around the NBA. The question is, who might be on the other end of those calls to Cleveland?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to the hottest start of any team in the Eastern Conference. Despite playing the first 26 games without starting point guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers opened the season playing well and have shown no signs of slowing down since his return.
Nevertheless, a key change in the rotation has many around the NBA wondering if one of Cleveland’s most valuable reserves is available via trade.
David Blatt made a surprising decision when he moved Timofey Mozgov to the bench in favor of Tristan Thompson. Thompson recently received an $82 million contract, but stylistically, a fear existed that he and Kevin Love would clash.
On the heels of Mozgov’s move to the bench, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that multiple teams have inquired about the 29-year-old’s availability.
"As center Timofey Mozgov recently has gone from a prominent starting role to a reserve with the Cleveland Cavaliers, several NBA teams are starting to inquire about his availability via trade, league sources told Yahoo Sports. While the Cavaliers have expressed no interest in moving Mozgov, the 7-foot-1 center’s loss of his starting job, the franchise’s NBA-high payroll and his looming free agency could ultimately persuade Cleveland to make a deal."
Cleveland is reluctant to let him go, but if the right trade offer comes about, anything is possible.
The Cavaliers acquired Mozgov in 2014-15, and he made an immediate impact on their sputtering defense. His presence in the paint helped solidify the defensive interior, and his rebounding helped stabilize a somewhat inconsistent output.
Mozgov started all 20 of the Cavaliers’ postseason games in 2014-15, including the six NBA Finals outings.
In 2015-16, he’s made 25 starts in 30 appearances. He’s been limited to just 17.8 minutes of action per game, but is forcing opponents to shoot 9.4 percent worse than their season average from six feet and in when he’s the primary defender—evidence of his significant value.
The question is, which teams might be calling for Mozgov’s services and expiring contract?
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