National Basketball Association

Cavs pick up Timofey Mozgov's option for 2015-16

Published Jun. 23, 2015 12:02 p.m. ET

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by Will Gibson

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have their big Mozzie Bear patrolling the paint for at least one more season, as the team picked up center Timofey Mozgov’s option for the 2015-16 season today. Mozgov will make a shade under $5 million next season, a steal for a 7-footer of his caliber, making the decision a no-brainer for the Cavs.

Eric Pincus of BasketballInsiders.com was first to report it, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirming shortly thereafter.

The Cavs acquired Mozgov on January 7, shortly after trading for guards Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith. The Cavs sent two first-round picks to the Denver Nuggets, and were able to absorb Mozgov into a trade exception. He made just over $4.6 million this year.

In 46 games with the Cavs (45 starts), Mozgov averaged 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 25 minutes. He shot 59 percent from the field and just under 71 percent on free throws.

He started all 20 playoff games, averaging 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 50 percent shooting. His best game of the season came in the Cavs’ Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, in which he totaled 28 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs have plenty of boxes to check this offseason, and keeping Mozgov in the fold is perhaps the easiest decision general manager David Griffin will make all summer. With the big Russian taken care of, Griffin and company can turn their attention to the Cavs’ other free agents, including LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and Iman Shumpert.

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