Rumors about the Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Allen has real trade value

The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t seem ready to reshuffle the deck just yet. But when that changes, Jarrett Allen could be the outside man who can bring them the biggest win.

Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland that he believes Allen would “definitely” add value on the transfer market. However, new head coach Kenny Atkinson and Koby Altman seem determined to keep Allen in the Cavaliers uniform. “I don’t think they’re trading him away,” Windhorst concluded.

Allen is coming off arguably the best season of his career, taking the depleted Cavaliers squad to the top 10 defensemen and dominating the Orlando Magic in the first few playoff games before a broken rib abruptly ended Allen’s comeback.

Numerous teams could benefit from Allen’s abilities as a rim-runner. At the top of that list are the New Orleans Pelicans, who have been rumored to be interested in Allen for some time. With Brandon Ingram fitting the archetype of Cleveland’s biggest need – and Allen doing the same for NOLA – a potential trade makes sense on paper. However, neither team seems ready to push the button.

Cleveland’s front office has consistently shrugged off the pressure to share its core players. The decision to sign Donovan Mitchell in 2022 was based on the belief that his superstar presence would go hand in hand with the long-term development of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. So far, the Cavs seem content to maintain that trust.

The challenge is to ensure seamless integration of the core. Brief moments of chemistry have given enough reason to believe in this group, but it will take a sustained streak of success, especially in the postseason, to solidify their integration. Whether that is possible or not remains to be seen.