Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley has been awarded the title of 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, as announced by the league on Thursday. The fourth-year forward triumphed over competitors Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks to secure his first league-wide accolade.
Mobley’s standout performance this season not only saw him average 18.5 points per game but also showcased his defensive prowess, which played a crucial role in Cleveland’s success. Averaging 9.3 rebounds per game, with 7.0 of those being defensive rebounds, Mobley also recorded 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.
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In a closely contested race, Mobley emerged victorious with 35 first-place votes and 30 second-place votes, totaling 285 points — a significant lead over Daniels (197 points) and Green (154 points).
The 2025 DPOY race was notably competitive, as several players were ineligible for the award due to not meeting the required number of games played. To be considered for end-of-season awards, players must have participated in a minimum of 65 games and played at least 20 minutes in 63 of those games.
This criteria excluded players like Victor Wembanyama, who was sidelined after the All-Star break due to a shoulder blood clot after playing 46 games. However, Mobley (71 games), Green (68 games), and Daniels (76 games) remained in contention as the award’s three finalists.
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With Wembanyama out of the running, the DPOY landscape underwent a significant shift without a clear frontrunner. (Even in his absence for the final months of the season, Wembanyama still topped the league in blocks, finishing with 176 blocks.)
Initially, Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. was favored to win the award, but he ultimately did not make the final cut for the finalists.