Evan Mobley was a big winner in more ways than one Thursday night.
For starters, the fourth-year forward was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, after taking a significant individual leap this season as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' ascension to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
But, by winning that honor, Mobley -- who also is expected to be an All-NBA selection sometime over the next couple of weeks -- also ensured that the max rookie contract extension he signed last summer will go up by roughly $45 million over the next five years, turning it into a five-year, $269 million pact.