Cleveland Cavaliers: Grading the Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince acquisitions

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince via trade on Wednesday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were involved in a four-team blockbuster trade involving the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, in what was centered on James Harden.

From Cleveland’s perspective, this was a two, heck, three thumbs up (if that were possible) move by Cavs general manager Koby Altman and company.

In terms of the reported details, courtesy of ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, and then Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, you can view all of those here.

But regarding the Cavs’ perspective with this deal, in which James Harden was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets, most notably, Cleveland dealt Dante Exum to the Houston Rockets, to go with their 2022 first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Cavs’ 2024 second-rounder was sent to the Nets. Well, the lesser of the two between Cleveland’s and Utah Jazz’s, on the 2024 2 that is.

And the Cavs acquired Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince from Brooklyn in this deal.

Lastly, in regards to the Cavs, again, Cleveland waived Yogi Ferrell, who was on a 10-day deal, along with Thon Maker, per a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. And for an added note, Fedor reported how Cleveland used its $3.9 million trade exception founded back from the Jordan Clarkson-Dante Exum deal from last season to absorb Allen’s salary of that.

So from the Cavs’ perspective, though, how did they grade out?

We’ll grade the Cavs’ acquisitions of Allen and Prince here.

Firstly, we’ll begin with with the big man in Allen.

Examining the Allen acquisition by the Cavs

Allen, who has averaged 11.2 points,10.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 26.7 minutes per game this season with Brooklyn, would appear to be Cleveland’s 5 of the future looking onward.

In the short term, he’ll serve as a reserve 5 with Andre Drummond still on the roster, albeit Drummond could seemingly be moved by the trade deadline, given that he has been a subject involved in trade rumors/speculation. That’s as a result of Drummond being on an expiring deal with him before the season opting into his $28.7 million player option.

On the other hand, the Cavs could possibly just keep Drummond through the March 25 deadline, too, as he has had 18.0 points, a league-leading 15.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists (though he’s averaged 3.9 turnovers), 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per outing.

Drummond, such as is the case with Larry Nance Jr., who has led the league in steals, has been a significant part of why Cleveland currently has the league’s third-best defensive rating (and what was mostly the best thus far). And Dre could feasibly aid Allen some, while the Cavs could maybe just let Drummond sign elsewhere and have his salary off the books.

Plus, when it comes to McGee, who is set to be expiring after this season, he’s seemingly a piece that’d be set to be dealt by the deadline. He’s played pretty well for Cleveland backing up Drummond, but at just $4.2 million on the books, one would assume he’d very well be moved.

Anyhow, circling back to Allen, he’s a highly capable rim-running/lob catching and screening big that should be able to mesh seamlessly alongside pieces such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro and others, such as Kevin Porter Jr. (when he’s back) in the pick-and-roll/dive game.

Allen is a quality finisher inside over the top, and he has nice touch, which can occasionally be seen via post-ups/push shots a bit. On the wing, I’d imagine he should be able to help the likes of Sexton, Okoro and/or others get some separation to attack coming off of handoffs as well.

And while we haven’t seen it much, nor really at all the past two seasons, Allen, who has hit 75.4 percent of his free throw attempts this season, could have some untapped spot-up potential from three-point land. He will also hit some mid-range shots here and there, so we’ll have to see if he can develop further in the shooting realm.

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Defensively, though, I could foresee Allen, looking onward, solidifying himself as a rim protection/paint anchor that can alter his share of shots/get blocks for years to come.

He has a career block rate of 4.4 percent, and even with some foul trouble at times, I think he should be fine overall, and 3.2 fouls per-36 isn’t awful, really, for a rim protecting presence.

With Allen, projecting onward, it would seem that while he’s currently set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, that he’ll eventually get locked up by Cleveland long-term this coming offseason.

Also, per a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Cavs have coveted a player like Allen for years, and intend to lock him up, and per Fedor (subscription required), for what it’s worth, Cleveland has “already received calls about McGee, sources say.”

Anyway, considering Allen looking to fit in so well and being so young with a defensive anchor type role at 6-foot-11, I’d give his trade acquisition a near-ideal grade.

Allen’s trade acquisition by the Cavs: A

So we’ll move on to the Prince side of it.

Examining the Prince acquisition by the Cavs

When it comes to Prince, he’s a piece that should provide added wing depth for the Cavaliers and/or could fill in as a potential small-ball 4 in some lineups. Prince, with Kevin Durant sidelined last season, often appeared at the 4 for Brooklyn then, and last season had 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 29.0 minutes per outing.

The key with Prince, though, while he can create for himself on-ball to some extent, where he can get to the basket, is his ability, in theory, to provide a rotational floor spacing element.

Prince, who spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and was dealt to Brooklyn before last season, hit 38.5 and 39.0 percent of his three-point attempts per outing in years 2 and 3 with Atlanta. Albeit he was more streaky with Brooklyn and last season hit 33.9 percent from deep, and 35.1 percent thus far this year.

With Prince, though, he, in theory, could provide floor spacing for Cleveland’s more regular drivers, and could provide defensive capabilities on the wing competently. Prince, when locked-in/seemingly in-tuned with his teammates has shown he can be a solid defender, and perhaps we could see that in his minutes on the floor with the Cavs.

Although with Prince, we’ll have to see as far as the potential role for him when Cleveland gets healthier. Dylan Windler, when he’s back from a fractured left hand, should be in the conversation in that realm but should get 2 minutes, also, and Isaac Okoro is a key contributor/starter and Cedi Osman will get minutes.

Anyway, we’ll again have to see if Prince can find a role with the Cavs; he very well could, though. Prince isn’t the cheapest add, albeit some near-salary matching for Exum had to be in the cards, of which Prince is set to make $12.5 million and next season could be a potential trade piece with a $13 million salary.

I figure that Prince could be some Windler health insurance, anyhow, and could perhaps fit in small and big lineups.

Prince’s trade acquisition by the Cavs: B

Overall, though, given Cleveland had to only give up Exum, that Milwaukee 1 and that 2024 2 (the lesser between us and Utah, again), seemingly landing their long-term starting 5 and a decent, but capable piece in Prince, they made out with a relative killing for not much.

And while we don’t know if he’ll contribute at some point, Cleveland did also reportedly acquire the draft rights to 2017 Nets draft pick Aleksandar Vezenkov, their 57th overall pick then, per Evan Dammarell of Forbes and Fear The Sword on Thursday.

Next. Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players. dark

Take a bow, though, Koby.

Cavs: Grading the Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince acquisitions

By Dan Gilinsky | Jan 14, 2021