Jarrett Allen is questionable for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday because of right patellar tendinopathy, adding another concern to a frontcourt already missing two players.
Jarrett Allen (right patellar tendinopathy) is listed as QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow night’s season opener vs. the 76ers
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) October 21, 2026
Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Khalifa Diop have been ruled out, leaving Cleveland with fewer options if its starting center cannot play.
The knee also has a recent history. That’s because it is the same knee that cost Allen multiple games during the second half of last season.
Allen has not been ruled out, and the designation does not establish how much time he might miss beyond Thursday.
His availability nevertheless affects more than the starting lineup: Without him, Kenny Atkinson would have to redistribute center minutes while working around two other frontcourt absences.
Cavs injury report for season opener against 76ers
The NBA’s official injury report issued at 5 p.m. ET Wednesday lists the following Cleveland players for Thursday:
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Allen | Questionable | Right patellar tendinopathy |
| Khalifa Diop | Out | Left knee injury management |
| Nae’Qwan Tomlin | Out | Low back stress reaction |
Sam Merrill is absent from that report. That follows a positive practice update Tuesday, when Atkinson said Merrill completed a full session that included scrimmaging.
Merrill had been limited in Monday’s practice. His progress gives Cleveland better news on the perimeter, even as the uncertainty shifts toward its interior rotation.
Allen’s status puts Cleveland’s frontcourt depth to an early test
Tomlin’s absence carries a specific rotation consequence. Atkinson had intended to include Tomlin in the rotation.
Kenny Atkinson said this afternoon after practice that he had Tomlin pegged to be in the rotation. https://t.co/ETm4tm0KOz
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) October 20, 2026
Cleveland is therefore preparing to replace minutes the coach had planned to give him, rather than simply losing an emergency option at the end of the bench.
As covered in Tuesday’s Tomlin injury update, the forward will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. That is an assessment window, not a promised return date.
If Allen sits, one option would be to give Evan Mobley more responsibility at center and use a different combination at power forward.
Another would be to increase Thomas Bryant’s role. Those are possible responses to the absences, not an announced starting lineup or rotation decision.
Bryant recorded eight points and four rebounds in 10 minutes in Cleveland’s Oct. 13 preseason finale at Orlando.
That brief preseason appearance offers only a limited reference point for a larger regular-season assignment. If Bryant takes on more minutes, Cleveland would need him to help cover the rebounding and interior work normally shared by Allen and Mobley.
Using Mobley more extensively at center would instead change which players fill the forward minutes around him.
The distinction matters because replacing Allen is not just a question of who starts. Atkinson would also need a workable arrangement for the stretches when Mobley rests, with Diop and Tomlin unavailable to help absorb those minutes.
Thursday’s opener in Philadelphia tips off at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN.
