The Cleveland Cavaliers keep hearing the same name in trade chatter, and according to reporting from the Wine & Gold Talk podcast, it’s Jarrett Allen drawing the most interest around the league.
Chris Fedor and co-host Ethan Sands discussed the buzz surrounding Allen, who has long been mentioned as a possible trade candidate but remains Cleveland’s anchor in the middle. Fedor said the Cavaliers get more calls on Allen than on anyone else on the roster.
“They have yet to see one. They have yet to be offered one. From what I’ve been told, the number of phone calls that the Cavs get on Jarrett, outnumbered the number of calls the Cavs get for any other player on the roster.”
That interest alone doesn’t mean Cleveland is looking to move him. Fedor said any deal would have to clear a high bar for a team with championship goals.
“For a team that has championship aspirations, they would have to see a deal that they could sit there and say, this makes us better, this helps us take another step forward. And it’s hard to come up with a deal like that for Jarrett.”
That’s the crux of the matter. Allen gives the Cavaliers value on both ends, and replacing that production would not be simple.
Evan Mobley has been at his best when most of his minutes come at power forward, with some time at center mixed in. Allen’s finishing around the rim is still a different level, and his presence as a defensive anchor gives Cleveland something it would be hard-pressed to replicate.
Allen has been productive for Cleveland and delivered when it mattered most in the postseason. He is also beginning to shoot some threes in the preseason, another layer to watch as he heads toward his sixth full season with the Cavaliers.
For now, the calls can keep coming. Cleveland’s core has been built over several years, and with Peyton Watson added, the hope is that the group already in place is the one that can push the Cavaliers over the top.
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