The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot catch a break. Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio both went down with season-ending injuries. Darius Garland is dealing with a chronic back condition. Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen and Caris LeVert have all sustained injuries that caused them to miss chunks of time. Now it gets worse, as All-Star center Jarrett Allen is out indefinitely with a fractured finger, on top of a potential quad injury.
Allen is the defensive linchpin of the Cavs’ 4th-ranked defense, and he has become one of the league’s best finishers. Without Allen this team isn’t going to reach its ceiling, and they would be severe longshots even to win a playoff series. Getting him back healthy is paramount to making any sort of postseason noise.
The Cleveland Cavaliers might need to sign a big man to fill in for Jarrett Allen. Who could the Cavs consider on the free-agent market?
In the meantime, the Cavs have to find a way to survive the next 18 games. They are currently 37-27, in sixth-place, and a full three games clear of the Toronto Raptors after beating them on Sunday. Finish sixth or better and they are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs; fall to seventh and the play-in tournament looms.
The Cavs will lean on Kevin Love a little bit more, and Evan Mobley will play more minutes at the 5, but the Cavs will need another center to mix into the rotation. The only other option on the roster is Ed Davis, and his performance this season has been very mixed. If Mobley, Love or Davis were to miss time, the Cavs would be seriously thin at a position that used to be one of its deepest.
With a roster spot opening up as Tim Frazier‘s 10-day contract expires, which free agent centers might be available and helpful to the Cavs? No one available fits the mold of Allen, but a few players could help in different ways. Here are three possibilities and why they might help.