The Pelicans know where the hole is. It sits right in the middle of the starting lineup, at center, and that’s the spot New Orleans would most obviously target if it had its pick of upgrades. Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic splitting the job can be workable enough for this season, but if the Pelicans are choosing one place in the first five to improve, center is the easy answer.
That’s why Jarrett Allen keeps popping up in the conversation. He’s been a name worth watching for New Orleans before, thanks to the appeal of his rim protection, rebounding, and finishing around the basket next to Zion Williamson.
But that interest has cooled. After the 2026 playoffs, the fit looked a lot less enticing, especially once Allen’s tendency to feast on weaker competition and run into trouble against the best teams became harder to ignore.
Still, recent online rumors from Cleveland sports reporter Nick Pedone have put Allen back on the radar, with the Pelicans said to be interested. The part that should really make New Orleans fans bristle is the price tag people are floating: Trey Murphy III.
That’s where the whole thing starts to fall apart for the Pelicans. Allen would absolutely count as a center upgrade, but the deal only works if the cost matches the gain, and this one doesn’t.
Cleveland has spent years giving the Evan Mobley and Allen frontcourt chances to work, and while the Cavaliers may be open to change, they are not operating like a team ready to punt on contention. With players like James Harden and a freshly extended Donovan Mitchell, they’re not looking for a soft return package of young assets and picks in an Allen trade.
That’s why Murphy’s name has been attached to this idea. The fit is obvious from Cleveland’s side: his size, three-point shooting, and raw athleticism would mesh with that core.
But matching contracts does not mean matching value. Allen is 28 and has three years left on a contract worth over $90 million.
Murphy is 26, entering his prime, and has three years left on a deal worth less than $90 million.
From New Orleans’ perspective, that’s the kind of swap that can age badly in a hurry.
Allen just doesn’t raise the Pelicans’ ceiling enough to justify moving Murphy. If New Orleans were dealing Murphy for future picks, young players, and still finding a center upgrade elsewhere, that would be one thing. But an Allen-for-Murphy III exchange is the sort of idea Cavs fans can dream about in NBA 2K and leave there.
And it’s not as if the Pelicans are dangling Murphy lightly. Several reports have already made clear that New Orleans is firm on his high price tag and has no interest in moving him because other teams around the league want him. So while Allen would fill a glaring need, the value gap is simply too wide for the Pelicans to even consider giving up their most valuable asset.