Cavs: Grading the Jarrett Allen signing on three levels

Grading the Jarrett Allen signing: The Value

However you perceive Allen’s long-term fit on the Cavaliers roster, restricted free agency is often about retaining a talented player at a good price and looking to move them later. Did the Cavs bring back their center at a good price?

As mentioned above, Allen’s contract averages $20 million per season. Only five centers have a higher AAV than he will on this next deal. The worst of those five players, Nikola Vucevic, is a two-time All-Star, and the best just won the league’s MVP award this past season (Nikola Jokic). While Allen has plenty of upside left at just 23 years old, he would have to improve significantly to even approach the level of those players.

Depending on how the Cavs structure the contract, Allen will be either the second or third-highest paid player on the roster next season, well above the rookie contract young players trying to build a career of their own in order to earn a contract of this magnitude when their time comes.

Allen is simply not worth this number right now; he’s being paid like a top-6 center and he’s not at that level. Will he get better? He probably will; in fact he averaged a career-high in points per game with 13.2 after joining Cleveland. Yet even if he improves the gulf between Allen and an All-Star season is wide, and it’s hard to be much lower than an All-Star level and justify $20 million per season.

Center is the most replaceable position in the league. The Cavs could have added a slightly worse player in free agency for a quarter of the price; that’s the reality of a league with plenty of centers and not enough rotation spots. Richaun Holmes has reportedly agreed to a deal with a $13.75 million AAV, and Allen wasn’t better than Holmes last season. However you look at this, the numbers are very high and it is not a good value, especially not on such a long-term deal.

Grade: C-