Jarrett Allen has a chance to return for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, while Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson will remain sidelined.
The NBA’s Sunday injury report, issued at 5:45 p.m. ET, lists Allen as questionable with a right knee contusion. Merrill is out because of right elbow injury management, and Tyson is out with a right ankle sprain.
Allen’s designation gives Cleveland a possible reinforcement after he was among the players ruled out against New York on Saturday. It does not confirm that he will play.
Cavs injury report vs. Hornets
Cleveland has six players on the report for Monday’s matchup:
| Player | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Allen | Questionable | Right knee contusion |
| Sam Merrill | Out | Right elbow injury management |
| Jaylon Tyson | Out | Right ankle sprain |
| Nae’Qwan Tomlin | Out | Low back stress reaction |
| Khalifa Diop | Out | G League assignment |
| Ernest Udeh Jr. | Out | G League two-way |
Diop and Udeh are listed for G League reasons, separate from the injury absences.
What Allen’s possible return would change
Allen’s knee became a concern during Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City. In an update posted after that game, cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that Allen had played only seven minutes before his night ended.
“I’m alright,” Allen told cleveland.com.
That was Allen’s immediate assessment after the injury, not a new comment about his availability for Charlotte. Sunday’s questionable designation is the more recent development.
Without Allen against the Knicks, Cleveland started Evan Mobley at center alongside Peyton Watson, Meleek Thomas, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
Mobley finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 32:54. Thomas Bryant supplied five points and three rebounds in 15:06 off the bench.
Those minutes illustrate the practical value of getting Allen back. His availability would give Kenny Atkinson another option for dividing the center workload, including the stretches when Mobley rests.
It would also allow the coach to consider pairing the two big men rather than building the opening group around Mobley at center.
There is a rebounding issue to address, too. New York won the boards 49-40 and held a 26-8 advantage in second-chance points during Cleveland’s 109-97 loss.
Those are team results, not proof that Allen alone would have changed the outcome, but they identify possessions Cleveland needs to finish more effectively.
Merrill’s absence leaves a separate rotation question
An Allen return would help the frontcourt without directly replacing Merrill’s perimeter role.
Thomas started Saturday and scored nine points in 24:08, while Tyrese Proctor played 22:35 off the bench. Atkinson could continue using those guards to cover minutes, or change the balance between guard and forward combinations if Allen is available.
The distinction is which jobs need filling. Adding a center can change Mobley’s deployment and the size of the opening lineup; it does not automatically replace a missing perimeter player’s shooting or off-ball movement.
Monday’s starters have not been established by the injury report. Saturday’s group provides a recent example of how Cleveland handled the absences, rather than confirmation of the next starting five.
Hornets have their own availability concerns
Charlotte lists Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Dennis Schroder and Grant Williams as out. Moussa Diabate is questionable with right quadriceps tendinopathy.
Those absences make this a matchup with rotation questions on both sides. For Cleveland, Allen’s final designation will determine whether Atkinson gets an additional frontcourt option or must again arrange the center minutes without him.
The game is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. EST at Spectrum Center.
