Kenny Atkinson Makes A Bold Statement About Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley just had his best season yet, but he isn’t looking to slow down.

Now that he’s become one of the best big men in the league and won Defensive Player of the Year, fans are expecting even more from Mobley in 2025-26 and beyond.

Speaking with NBA TV on Thursday night, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson predicted that Mobley will be in the conversation for MVP over the next few seasons.

“I don’t want to put any pressure on him, but the truth is, in these next two or three years, he’s going to be in the MVP conversation. Talent-wise, I don’t see why not. He’s gotten stronger already since the season ended, and you can just see it. When a guy starts to figure it out. He’s figured out his routine. He’s figured out his diet. He’s figured out all the stuff. He’s figured out the weights and the strength and conditioning stuff. When you combine that with the talent and the human being he is and the character he is, oh, and by the way, he’s Defensive Player of the Year, it’s like, why shouldn’t this guy put himself in the conversation to be an MVP in this league eventually?” Atkinson said.

Kenny Atkinson tells @JaredSGreenberg what he wants to see next from Evan Mobley:

"In these next 2 or 3 years, he's gotta be in the MVP conversation." 😤 pic.twitter.com/C5xLYFyTsC

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 10, 2025

Last season, Mobley produced an average of 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

He was shooting 55.7 percent from the field and looked like one of the most dominant big men in the entire league.

This was the version of Mobley that fans had been waiting for, and now they are ready for more of him.

The expectations will be even higher in the new season because people have seen what he can truly accomplish, and they don’t think he’s hit his ceiling yet.

According to Atkinson, Mobley has gotten even stronger since the season ended, which suggests that he also knows that big things are ahead for him.

He was already reaching new levels, but Mobley is clearly going to push himself more in the seasons ahead.