NBA teams are “monitoring” the Cleveland Cavaliers’ start to the NBA season in case center Jarrett Allen could be made available in a trade.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated provided the report on Wednesday.
“Elsewhere, teams are monitoring how Cleveland starts the season. The Evan Mobley–Jarrett Allen tandem has been a smashing success and done a lot to protect the Cavs’ small-ish backcourt. Still, most believe Mobley’s long-term future is at center and Allen, a durable rim protector who shot a league-high 70.6 percent last season, could be available for the right mix of rotation players.”
Allen started all 82 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 13.5 points on an NBA-high 70.6 percent shooting. He also grabbed 9.7 rebounds per game.
The 27-year-old big man is entering his ninth NBA season and sixth with the Cavs after the Brooklyn Nets, who selected the ex-Texas star with the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, traded him to Cleveland in January 2021 in the four-team James Harden deal.
Allen has fared quite well in town, even making his first All-Star Game in 2022. Cleveland has also posted four straight winning seasons and made three consecutive postseasons. Last year featured the Cavs winning an Eastern Conference-high 64 games and making the Eastern Conference semifinals.
However, the Cavs struggled in the second round against the Indiana Pacers, falling in five games. Cleveland dealt with numerous injuries during that series, with Mobley, De’Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill each missing a game, Darius Garland sitting for two and Donovan Mitchell dealing with a re-aggravation of a sprained left ankle that forced him to sit the second half of Game 4 and clearly hampered him in Game 5.
Ultimately, it was a tough ending to a great season, but the Cavs are largely considered Eastern Conference contenders yet again. In fact, they are second on the odds ledger to win the NBA Finals behind only the defending league champion Oklahoma City Thunder, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
So while other teams may be “monitoring” the Cavs this year, it’s certainly possible they start hot again and have a successful regular season. That could wash away any Allen trade talk, especially since he’s clearly been an asset to this team on both ends.
Perhaps the fit with Mobley can be a bit awkward, especially if he is seen as a center in the modern game, but it’s not impossible to see this duo help lead the team to greater heights this year.
For now, Allen remains a member of the Cavaliers, who signed the big man to a three-year, $90.7 million contract extension through 2028-29. That’s a palatable deal for other teams for a productive big, but it’s certainly possible Cleveland doesn’t entertain calls on him as the franchise searches for an NBA title.