While the Cleveland Cavaliers have apparently become more open to trading center Jarrett Allen, it would reportedly still take a lot for him to be moved.
“Meanwhile, sources have told Hoops Wire that the Cavs have discussed Allen, but it would take quite a bit in return for them to actually trade him,” wrote Sam Amico. “One source said the Cavs would only trade Allen in a ‘slam dunk’ of a move.”
It remains to be seen what type of move that would be, but any hypothetical deal would likely have to net Cleveland a pretty impactful player.
The New Orleans Pelicans recently called the Cavs about Allen as they look to replace big man Jonas Valanciunas. The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors were also linked to Allen last month, but their recent moves may suggest they’re no longer interested.
Allen averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season while shooting 64.4 percent from the field. He took a small step back from his All-Star 2021-22 season, though he was still a solid piece for Cleveland during its 51-win regular season.
However, the 2023 NBA Playoffs turned out to be a bit of a nightmare for Allen. Not only did the team struggle as a whole in its five-game series loss to the New York Knicks, but Allen wasn’t really able to leave a big mark.
During that series, Allen averaged 9.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.0 block per game while making 61.1 percent of his shots from the field. Those numbers aren’t bad at all, but they’re all lower than his regular season averages.
The day after the Cavs were eliminated at home by the Knicks, Allen made an honest and fairly concerning comment.
Jarrett Allen on this series: "Even for me, the lights were brighter than expected."
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) April 27, 2023
Allen should be given props for being so honest during a vulnerable time in his career, but it was undoubtedly not something the Cavs organization and its fans wanted to hear.
Since that time, Allen’s quote has been used plenty of times by Twitter users in memes. The quote will likely follow Allen for some time.
Hopefully for Allen and the Cavs, the former first-round pick will be able to bounce back in a major way this coming season. Cleveland has beefed up its roster with acquisitions like Max Strus and Georges Niang and will look to make it back to the playoffs in the 2023-24 campaign.
