Grade the Trade: Jarrett Allen to Mavs in proposed deal with Cavaliers

Would the Cavaliers say yes to this trade?

Here we come to the opportunity and difficulty in trading Jarrett Allen. On the one hand, moving the All-Star center for a wing does unlock that lineup flexibility. Evan Mobley can slide from the 4 to the 5, as could Maxi Kleber. Jarrett Allen is position-locked at center. Cleveland finds a starting group with this trade, but it’s also much easier to swap out Dean Wade or Cedi Osman into this group and mix-and-match the combinations.

The problem, however, is that it’s almost impossible for the Cavs to get equal value for Allen. Because the current NBA and the league at large devalue centers over wings and forwards, there is likely not a single team that would send back a low-level All-Star perimeter player for Allen. If he’s somewhere around the 40th-best player in the league, no team is sending their top-40 wing for Allen.

Moving him, then, decreases the Cavs’ star power. It’s trading a dollar for three quarters and hoping everything adds up. It also opens up a host of questions: is Evan Mobley ready to play center full-time? How much of a defensive hit would they take, and will they make it up on offense and in playoff viability? Who will be the backup center to eat minutes behind Mobley?

It may be that the Cavaliers have to trade Jarrett Allen someday to help this team advance in the playoffs. Perhaps that say will even come this offseason or during the season if the right trade comes along. This deal, for an injury-prone forward in Maxi Kleber and a streaky shooter in Reggie Bullock, is not that deal.

Grade: C