Cuttino Mobley's NBA career may be over, and the announcement that he will retire may come as soon as tomorrow. Mobley has been playing with an enlarged heart condition, but all of the recent medical information he's received (as part of the physical examinations that the league requires when a trade goes down) have caused him to consider his health first, and basketball second.
Mobley has been aware of the condition since 2000 when he was a member of the Houston Rockets, but had been playing over 33 minutes per game this season for the Clippers. L.A. had a waiver on file signed by Mobley that would release the team of any liability should something happen to him on the court as a result of his condition; it's unclear if the Knicks were aware of that arrangement.
The trade involving Mobley that brought Zach Randolph to Los Angeles was actually in limbo for a day or so, as the Knicks had concerns over Mobley's condition. But since New York was really only interested in clearing salary cap space for 2010 when several big name free agents will be available, they went through with the deal anyway, even once they realized Mobley might never play in a Knicks uniform.
If Mobley has played his last game, at least he went out with a good one. He played his best game of the season in the team's win in Oklahoma City, scoring 23 points and grabbing seven steals. Mobley will also be paid the remainder of his $18 million dollar contract, as the league's collective bargaining agreement provides when players are forced to retire for medical reasons.
