Proposed Cavs trade with Raptors swaps Allen for Anunoby

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Jarrett Allen (left) and Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /

Proposed Cavs trade with Raptors: Do Cavs pull the trigger?

Now for the moment of truth: if the Raptors called and offered this trade, would the Cavs pull the trigger?

There are absolutely compelling reasons to do so, and OG Anunoby would allow the Cavs to match up against the league’s best wings. Yet the Cavs would absolutely lose something in the mix, as Jarrett Allen is a special player in his own right.

The Cavs’ anchor was one of the league’s best rim protectors last season, full-stop. His size and agility inside completely wall off the paint; he may not quite be at Rudy Gobert’s level, but he is in the next group. And the Cavs know that he and Mobley can thrive together; lineups with both players were +3.6 per 100 possessions last season, with an elite 103.7 defensive rating; 3-man lineups with those two and Darius Garland were a whopping +8.0.

Allen has also been much healthier than Anunoby, who has missed an average of 32 games the past two seasons. The Cavs know they can rely on Allen to show up, and the theory of pairing he and Mobley works. It’s not the typical place where modern NBA teams funnel their resources, but the skill and talent of Allen and Mobley look like something that can not only work, but thrive.

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Final Verdict: While moving a center for a wing is the right kind of move for NBA teams in 2022, Jarrett Allen has demonstrated he is elite and a great pairing with Evan Mobley. The Cavs should think this one over, but in the end they should take their hand off the trigger and run it back with their fearsome Twin Towers.