Timofey Mozgov is coming off the best stretch of his career last season after being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers mid-season. The Russian center was a huge part of the Cavaliers run to the NBA Finals and figures to have a huge impact for Cleveland again this season. Mozgov is entering the final year of his contract and while the Cavaliers would love to sign him to an extension Mozgov reportedly has no interest in an extension at this time according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Mozgov will play next season for $4.9 million and then enter free agency in the summer of 2016 when the salary cap is expected to go way up. This upcoming season the salary cap is $63 million but that is expected to rise to $89 million in 2016-17 and all the way to $120 million by 2018-19. If Mozgov can stay healthy this year and perform the same way he did with the Cavaliers last season he will be due for a major pay increase.
Mozgov is expected to be one of the premier big men on the market next summer so as long as he doesn't falter this upcoming season he could possibly make more than $15 million per year on his next contract. If Mozgov were to sign an extension now he would only be able to make a fraction of that money due to the low salary cap this year.
Mozgov turned 29 last month so he is still in the prime of his career and he is just starting to come into his own as a player. In 46 games with the Cavaliers last season Mozgov averaged 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 25 minutes per game while shooting 59 percent from the field. If Mozgov were given bigger minutes he could be a potential double-double guy but the Cavaliers like to go small in the fourth quarter.
There is no reason to think that Mozgov won't take another step forward this upcoming season and have a career year. The 7 foot-1 center will be playing for a contract and is likely going to earn himself a lot of money in the upcoming NBA season.
