NBA free agency: Timofey Mozgov drawing interest from five teams

Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov is drawing interest from five NBA teams in 2016 NBA free agency, all of whom qualified for the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

According to Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer for ESPN.com Dave McMenamin, the Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors, and the San Antonio Spurs are have major interest in Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov in 2016 NBA free agency. Cleveland is also in the mix to retain their offensively gifted big man.

With at least four teams vying for Cleveland’s strong, but rarely used center in 2016 NBA free agency, it seems almost inevitable that Mozgov won’t return to the Cavaliers in 2016-17. Though he helps Cleveland out in terms of depth, he fell out of the Cavaliers’ rotation during the 2016 NBA Championship run in favor of Tristan Thompson playing more minutes and the emergence of veteran Richard Jefferson.

Essentially, Mozgov has too much upside offensively as a great low-post scorer to stick with the 2016-17 Cavaliers. All four of the other teams looking at him in free agency would love to have a player like him in their starting front court. Mozgov could replace Dwight Howard in Houston, Hassan Whiteside in Miami, Festus Ezeli in Golden State, and David West in San Antonio pretty easily.

The reason that Cleveland would want to keep Mozgov though he doesn’t play much for new head coach Tyronn Lue is that 1.) So nobody else can have him. and 2.) He cost Cavaliers general manager two first-round picks when Cleveland traded for him with the Denver Nuggets halfway through the 2014-15 NBA season.

The market demand for Mozgov seems very high and it would be shocking to see him back with the Cavaliers in 2016-17. Signing with Golden State would be similar to the role he has in Cleveland already. Going to Houston, Miami, or San Antonio provide him more playing opportunities on strong NBA teams.

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