Grade the Trade: Cavs send Jarrett Allen to Dallas in 3-team deal proposal

There has been plenty of discussion surrounding a potential trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks after both teams had disappointing ends to their 2022-2023 campaigns. Numerous suggestions of trade proposals between the two teams have been shared among those in the NBA Twitterverse, and from various media outlets, for example.

It appears that the primary player Dallas would want is Cavs 2021-2022 NBA All-Star Jarrett Allen, at least that’s what would be logical for the Mavs. His defensive prowess is an alluring prospect for a team that had the 26th defensive rating in the NBA after the All-Star break. For the Cavaliers, Reggie Bullock is often the central piece being sent in return in hypothetical deals as they search for a long-term starting small forward.

In a vacuum, there’s plenty of reason both teams could want these players. Allen is a tall, defensive big that could be the answer in the post the Mavs have wanted ever since drafting superstar Luka Dončić. Allen as a lob threat and interior defender would allow him to thrive at what he does as Dallas desperately needs to beef up their defense. Additionally, he has multiple years left on his contract at a flat $20 million. With Kyrie Irving’s future in Dallas in question, finding players on manageable salaries is an absolute must for the Mavs.

For Cleveland, Bullock is a solid defender with good three-point shooting, but he’s not the ideal trade option Cleveland could target.

In a recent batch of Nets possible trade proposals, courtesy of Alex Schiffer of The Athletic (subscription required), which featured team reporters giving their reactions to fan suggestions, both Cleveland and Dallas get players that suit their needs. Brooklyn gets in on the action, too.

Here’s the trade:

Nets get: Josh Green and No. 10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

Cavaliers get: Royce O’Neale and Dorian Finney-Smith

Mavericks get: Jarrett Allen

In short, this bolsters the Nets’ rebuilding future while the Cavaliers and Mavericks improve their current rosters’ biggest drawbacks.

So, would all three teams say yes?

We’ll first examine if the Nets and Mavs should.