Cavs: Best and worst-case scenarios for Jarrett Allen this season

The Cleveland Cavaliers showed their hand last season in trading for Jarrett Allen, clearly valuing the young center as a franchise building block and long-term starter. They backed that up this offseason, signing Allen to a new five-year, $100 million contract.

$20 million per season is a lot of money for a center, already inside the top-10 at the position. The Cavs believe in Allen, and believe in him enough to lock him up long-term despite drafting Evan Mobley at No. 3 overall a few days beforehand.

The Cavs have Jarrett Allen locked in for the future. What are the best and worst outcomes for the 2021-22 season?

That long contract takes nearly all of the pressure off of Allen for this upcoming season. While players around him deal with contract negotiations, the fear of being cut or are in a war for playing time, the Cavs have a center who knows his role, has his money and is in this for the long haul.

Allen is also just 23 years old, and will be for the entire regular season. He has room to grow, although whether that is in shooting 3-pointers or in improving as a roll man in passing and finishing. Defensively he will look to take the next step forward as an elite rim protector.

There is also a downside, that Allen doesn’t take a step forward and the contract starts to get uncomfortable sitting on the Cavs’ payroll sheet through 2026. While we hope for the best, we have to acknowledge there is also the possibility of the worst. What are the two ends of that spectrum? Eliminating the nearly-impossible (Allen becomes an MVP candidate) and the out-of-his-control (season-ending injury in the preseason) what are the best and worst-case scenarios for Allen in 2021-22?