Cavaliers Rumors: Evan Mobley to Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss 6-8 Weeks with Injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have been dealt some tough injury news on Friday.

Cavaliers star Evan Mobley will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The news comes after The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania reported that Darius Garland suffered a fractured jaw in Thursday’s loss to the Boston Celtics and will miss the next several weeks.

The Cavaliers confirmed the news on both players in an injury update:

Mobley has missed Cleveland’s last four games with knee soreness, and the Cavaliers are greatly missing his defensive presence and ability to push the ball up the floor as they’re on a three-game losing streak.

Losing the 22-year-old is particularly tough with the news that Garland will also be sidelined. That leaves the Cavaliers with Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup.

Mobley was putting together another solid season before hitting the shelf, averaging 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 21 games while shooting 57.3 percent from the floor.

With Mobley sidelined, Georges Niang and Dean Wade figure to see more playing time.

Niang, who is in his first season with the Cavaliers, has played well off the bench, averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25 games while shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from deep.

The Cavaliers had high hopes entering the 2023-24 campaign, but the season has ultimately been a disappointment as they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 13-12 record and appear far from contending for one of the top playoff spots.

Cleveland will be back in action on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks before taking on the Houston Rockets on Monday.