2 former NBA players lavish Evan Mobley with praise, believe he will be league’s best player 5 years from now

There’s no question Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley has a bright future in the NBA.

In a recent survey of 118 former NBA players conducted by Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Mobley earned 1.7 percent of votes for the question, “Five years from now, which current NBA player will be the league’s best player?”

“A great defensive player,” five-time champion Michael Cooper said regarding Mobley.

An NBA player who played in the 1970s seemed to be very high on Mobley.

“Evan Mobley, and it won’t be close,” said the player to The Athletic. “I swear, the kid’s going to be a superstar in two more years. Mobley is unbelievable. Watch how he does things and his decision-making and his reach, his ability to see where the ball is. When you see it, you’re going to say, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ When he plays against other rookies, you can see the disparity.”

It’s worth noting Mobley gathered more votes than some established stars, such as Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid.

Mobley, 20, was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The youngster’s first 25 games in the league have been filled with numerous auspicious moments. He’s averaging 13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 blocks per game this season.

The University of Southern California product recently obtained Rookie of the Month honors from the league. Best of all, the Cavs have greatly benefited from the big man’s superb play.

The Cavs have an impressive 17-12 record this season and are currently the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs had just 22 wins during the entire 2020-21 campaign.

Several players think Mobley is destined for greatness. In fact, one of Mobley’s teammates believes he can become a $500 million player one day. Cavs legend and current Los Angeles Lakers titan LeBron James recently praised Mobley when the Cavs and Lakers played each other earlier this season.