NBA Rumors: Tom Thibodeau Headlines the Latest Rumblings

Timofey Mozgov Garnering Trade Interest

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a surprising splash in January of 2015 when they traded for center Timofey Mozgov. With a lack of consistency along the interior, the hope was that Mozgov could stabilize David Blatt’s sputtering defense.

Mozgov was beyond adequate for a Cavaliers team that ended up reaching the NBA Finals.

The 29-year-old played a prominent role for Cleveland, going as far as starting all 20 postseason games. Unfortunately, his run as a starter came to an abrupt end in 2015-16 when Blatt replaced him with $82 million big man Tristan Thompson.

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, Mozgov’s move to the bench has multiple NBA teams inquiring about his 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."

It’s not hard to see why Mozgov is such a hot commodity.

The Russian-born center is a massive presence in the paint at 7’1″ and 275 pounds. He puts that size to great use as a true defensive anchor who, while not elite, rates amongst the best of the second tier.

According to NBA.com, opponents are shooting just 46.8 percent from 10 feet and in when Mozgov is the primary defender—6.9 percent worse than their season average. He’s also holding the opposition to 45.8 percent shooting when he meets them at the rim.

For some team, whether it’s Cleveland or one of the 29 other options, Mozgov can thrive as a defensive force to be reckoned with.

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