Trade talks for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen have cooled as of late, according to Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico.
“While the Cavs reportedly have discussed some potential trades focused on center Jarrett Allen, those talks have seemingly cooled lately, sources told Hoops Wire,” Amico wrote.
Allen, 25, averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the Cavs in the 2022-23 season while shooting 64.4 percent from the field.
Though the Cavs are apparently more open to dealing Allen, they reportedly would only trade him in a “slam dunk” of a move.
Cleveland has agreed to deals with three key players in free agency that should fit in well alongside Allen and Evan Mobley in the Cavaliers’ frontcourt.
Wings Max Strus and Caris LeVert are both solid shooters that can stretch the floor and open up the paint for the Cavs’ bigs, and forward Georges Niang is an elite 3-point shooter that can play the power forward spot.
During the 2022-23 season for the Philadelphia 76ers, Niang shot 40.1 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 8.2 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
While Allen could make sense as a trade piece if the team wants to strictly play Mobley at the center spot, the Cavs may not want to mess with a good thing. Cleveland was one of the best teams in the NBA during the regular season in the 2022-23 campaign, finishing with the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs did come up short in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks in five games, but the team addressed its main issue from that series by adding more outside shooting.
In the playoffs, Cedi Osman, Danny Green and Isaac Okoro did not provide enough of a lift from beyond the arc for the Cavs.
Allen, who made the All-Star Game in the 2021-22 season, has been with the Cavs since the 2020-21 season when he was acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Cavs still have plenty of time this offseason to potentially restart negotiations for Allen, but it appears that for now the big man will stay put.
Cleveland is hoping that the core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Mobley and Allen can be good enough to contend for a title in the 2023-24 season.
