Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was a big part of the team’s Finals run in 2015. This season, however, he lost his spot in the rotation under Tyronn Lue. Despite his lackluster 2015-16 NBA season, teams still remember his success as a two-way center under David Blatt. According to BasketballInsiders’ Moke Hamilton, several teams are looking at Mozgov in free agency:
After polling various sources, I can say the Lakers, Spurs, Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Knicks are all going to pursue Timofey Mozgov.
— Moke Hamilton (@MokeHamilton) June 29, 2016
And ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that Mozgov is also getting courted by the Warriors, Heat and the incumbent Cavs.
Mozgov, coming off a poor campaign in what he hoped would be a showcase year, will still command interest and offers by his sheer size alone. San Antonio, Houston, Miami and Golden State are all expected to court the 7-footer, according to league sources.
Mozgov is a talented center who protect the rim, and also isn’t a half bad scorer down low. All of the teams listed by Hamilton (minus the Rockets until Dwight Howard officially leaves) could really use a true center. San Antonio could be an especially great fit for Mozgov, as Tim Duncan is getting too old to play center next to LaMarcus Aldridge full time. Mozgov could start on the Spurs, and would have a great shot at winning another championship.
Obviously, Mozgov’s lack of playing time led to a statistical drop off for him this season, but in the 46 games that he played in 2014-15 after the Cavs acquired him from the Denver Nuggets, Mozgov averaged 10.6 points, 6.9 points, and 1.2 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game, while shooting 59% from the field. Those are damn good numbers, and plenty of teams would like to get their hands on the player who produced them.
