USC basketball superstar Evan Mobley has not yet been able to reach the pinnacle of the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mobley has lived up to his top-three draft pick status, and then some. He has been everything the Cavs hoped he would be. The only thing missing from Mobley’s NBA resume is a deep run in the playoffs. The post-LeBron James Cavaliers have produced great regular seasons but haven’t been able to put all the pieces together in the postseason. They were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2025, but they fell short of the East Finals, losing to Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals.
Something happened on Sunday night, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which significantly improves the odds that Evan Mobley and the Cavs can make the NBA Finals in 2026.
Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury. Given how severe this type of injury generally is, the Pacers have very likely lost Haliburton for the entirety of the 2025-2026 NBA regular season. Given that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has also suffered this same injury, we are looking at an NBA Eastern Conference in which the Celtics and the Pacers will both be without their best players next season. This opens the door for the Cavs to rise to the top of the East and make the NBA Finals.
Are we saying or suggesting that the Cavs should be the clear-cut favorite in the East next season? Not necessarily. The Cavs will have to prove they are able to win in May, and skepticism will follow them until they show they have turned the corner. However, with Indiana and Boston both missing superstar players next season, there is no question that Cleveland will have a unique one-year window in which it can get over the hump … and get back to the NBA Finals, with Evan Mobley tasting June championship basketball for the first time in his pro career.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Evan Mobley has a special chance to make NBA Finals with Cavaliers in 2026
Reporting by Matt Zemek / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
