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3 pros, 2 cons for Cleveland Cavaliers trading for Kristaps Porzingis

By Caleb Crowley

Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards and Lamar Stevens, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards and Lamar Stevens, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /
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Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards. Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images /

Pro No. 2 – Career resurgence

To return to his time in Dallas, Porzingis’ career seemed to be on a steady decline. His role shifted dramatically, being relegated to be a spot-up corner shooter. In his hay day, the Latvian unicorn bullied defenders in the post and won with strength, footwork, and clever maneuverability.

Secondly, Kristaps has improved his passing over the past few seasons. Porzingis averaged a career-high 2.7 assists per contest with Washington in the 2022-2023 season, per Basketball Reference. His defense has remained solid throughout as well, averaging a block and a half last year alongside 8.4 rebounds.

In Cleveland, Jarrett Allen has shined as a post player since his trade from Brooklyn, earning an All-Star selection in 2021-2022. Whether he was catching a lob or looking for a clever finish on his own, the Fro’s stellar inside offense was one of the many reasons the Cavaliers secured a 50+ win season.

Replacing Allen with Porzingis would not diminish their offensive game at all; rather, it would expand it. In regards to health and availability, Jarrett Allen’s past two NBA seasons are fairly similar to Porzingis. In 2021-22, Allen missed 26 total games to Kristaps’ 31. In 2022-2023, Allen only played three more games with 68 versus Kristaps’ 65.

With Porzingis at the center, the Cavaliers would maintain their defensive dominance while improving their offensive versatility. Everything comes at a cost, though, and Porzingis is no exception.