Evan Mobley drafted third overall by Cleveland Cavaliers


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(Simon Park | Daily Trojan)

Former USC forward Evan Mobley was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft Thursday. He followed Onyeka Okongwu as the second consecutive USC lottery pick, and was tied with OJ Mayo for the highest selected Trojan in the NBA Draft. 

Jumping onto the scene as a five star recruit out of California and the top center in the 2020 class, Mobley made an immediate impact on the USC team as a true freshman. He led a defensively sound Trojan squad to a Pac-12 Championship appearance and an Elite Eight run in March Madness. Mobley averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 57% shooting over the course of the season.  

Mobley was the first collegiate basketball player to earn conference honors as player of the year, rookie of the year and defensive player of the year all in the same season in Pac-12 conference history. After a decorated season, Mobley was an essential lock to enter the draft. The Houston Rockets, who had the No. 2 overall pick, were reportedly torn between eventual second overall pick Jalen Green and Mobley. As it turned out, Mobley fell to Cleveland. 

The 7 foot tall bigman will slot into a Cavaliers roster in need of a power forward. Jarrett Allen currently occupies the center role, which Mobley could also play. The guards, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, will look to combine with Mobley and Allen for pick-and-roll offense, and Mobley’s ability to stretch the floor with range will cater to the spacing of the modern NBA. 

Most scouting evaluations on Mobley praised his mobility and ball-handling ability for a seven-footer, but there have been questions asked of his physicality compared to NBA competition. He has drawn comparisons to the likes of former player Chris Bosh and current Los Angeles Laker Anthony Davis. ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose said that Mobley exemplified the “modern-day big” on the network’s broadcast of the draft. 

Mobley joins the ranks of USC alumni active in the NBA, bringing the total up to nine, including Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls, Kevin Porter Jr. of the Houston Rockets and DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs.