Career
European career
Mozgov began his professional career with LenVo Saint St. Petersburg, in the Russian second tier division, during the 2004-2005 season. In 2006, he moved to CSK VVS Samara, the second level club from Samara. Before the 2006-2007 season he joined Khimki Moscow Region, where he played through the 2009-2010 season.
National Basketball Association career
= New York Knicks (2010–2011) In 2010, Mozgov signed a three-year, $9.7 million contract with the New York Knicks.
On January 30, 2011, after a 3-week stint on the bench, Mozgov finally saw significant minutes against the Pistons. He had a career game scoring 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to lead New York to a 124–106 victory.
He played 40 minutes and was treated to loud “Mozgov! Mozgov!” chants in the final minute. = Denver Nuggets (2011–2015) On February 22, 2011, he was traded to the Nuggets in a three-way blockbuster deal which also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves that brought Carmelo Anthony to New New York
On July 21, 2011, he joined Khimki Moscow Region for the second time during the 2011 National Basketball Association lockout.
On July 27, 2013, he re-signed with the Nuggets. = Cleveland Cavaliers (2015–present) On January 7, 2015, Mozgov was traded, along with a 2015 second-round pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for two protected 2015 first-round picks (via Oklahoma City and Memphis). Having always previously worn number 25, he was forced to change that upon joining the Cavaliers due to the franchise having the number retired for Mark Price.
He instead chose number 20 as it was the number his father, a Soviet handball player, used while he played the sport.
On January 9, he made his debut for the Cavaliers as he recorded 9 points and 8 rebounds off the bench in a 94-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On June 4, 2015, he became the first Russian to play in the National Basketball Association Finals, as the Cavaliers lost Game 1 of the series to the Golden State Warriors.
The Cavaliers went on to lose the series in six games, as Mozgov played in and started all six games. On June 23, 2015, the Cavaliers exercised the option to extend the term of Mozgov’s contract to include the 2015-2016 season.