The Cavaliers may have one of the league’s most valuable trade chips in Jarrett Allen, and the question now is whether Cleveland should finally use it to solve a bigger problem.
Nick Pedone of Cavaliers on SI made the case that the Cavs should at least explore moving Allen if it means landing the kind of wing help they’ve been chasing. His point wasn’t that Allen has stopped producing.
Quite the opposite. Pedone praised the veteran center’s value and play, but argued the real issue is how the roster is built.
With LeBron James choosing the 76ers and Eastern Conference contenders adding stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard, Pedone suggested Cleveland may need to think bigger. He also raised the question of whether the Allen-Evan Mobley frontcourt still gives the Cavs enough offensive spacing in today’s game.
Allen has come up in trade chatter before, and Cleveland has never seemed eager to deal him. But the logic is clear: sometimes a good team has to give up a good player to become better.
In Minnesota, Anthony Edwards is facing a different kind of pressure.
Andrew Carlson of Timberwolves on SI argued that the Wolves’ addition of LaMelo Ball should free Edwards up to put more of his energy into defense. Last season, Carlson noted, Edwards was carrying a huge offensive load, dealing with constant double teams while also acting as Minnesota’s primary playmaker.
That changes now. With Ball expected to take on much of that responsibility, the focus shifts to Edwards and what he does away from the ball.
The talent has always been there. The question is whether the consistency follows.
If Edwards can get back to being the disruptive perimeter defender he showed earlier in his career while still putting up his usual offense, Minnesota could end up looking like one of the West’s most complete teams.
And in Charlotte, the path to the playoffs in the East looks even steeper than before.
Mike Lacett of Hornets on SI looked at how much the conference has changed this offseason and what that means for the Hornets. The arrivals of LeBron James in Philadelphia, Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami and Kawhi Leonard in Toronto have made an already crowded race even tighter. When you add the defending champion Knicks, a healthy Pistons team, the Celtics and Cavaliers, there are not many soft spots left on the schedule.
Miles Bridges.
In Other News...
Hornets Just Made Their Biggest Backcourt Decision Yet
The Hornets have spent the offseason reshaping their backcourt, and the biggest move came with Coby Whites new three-year, $74 million deal. Charlotte brought White in from the Bulls in February, then saw him fit quickly over 21 games, enough to make him a central piece as the roster keeps changing around him.
With LaMelo Ball now gone to Minnesota, Whites role is set to expand in a hurry next season, giving the Hornets a very different look at point guard than the one they opened with. Charlotte has already added more trades and draft picks to the mix, but the real question is how much of the offense now runs through White as the team settles into its next version. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Could Reopen A Painful Draft Debate To Fix The Backcourt
The Hornets backcourt has become one of the more obvious places to look for help, and it has revived a draft conversation that never really goes away in Charlotte. With the team still sorting out its guard rotation, there is at least a plausible path to add a young point guard who could change the shape of the bench, even if the idea comes with plenty of baggage attached.
What makes the discussion interesting is the fit on both sides. The player in question is on an expiring contract and has had an uneven run of form, which gives any potential deal a practical, short-term feel rather than a sweeping roster overhaul. Charlotte would have to weigh whether the cost in salary-matching pieces and draft assets is worth it, but the larger question is whether a move like this would address a real need without reopening old wounds. [Read more 🡒]