The Cleveland Cavaliers might find a way to make it all work. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland may prove to be a perfect backcourt pairing, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen find the balance as two bigs on the court together, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff might break through as a tactician and lead the Cavs deep into the playoffs.
On the other hand, Garland and Mitchell could prove to be an unworkable fit defensively, Allen and Mobley may smother the offensive spacing too much, and Bickerstaff could be fired by the end of the season. Of those three scenarios, the one the Cavs are likely to move on first is the pairing of their two big men.
It wouldn’t be an absolute shock for the Cavaliers to trade Jarrett Allen by this upcoming NBA Trade Deadline, sliding Evan Mobley to center full-time and looking to juice the offense. If that happens, which players around the league could the Cavs target in a trade?
In no particular order, here are six players that could be a part of a Jarrett Allen trade next season.
The idea of the Cavaliers pursuing Jerami Grant in a trade is not a new one; the possibility was bandied about back when Grant was on the Detroit Pistons, and again leading into this past summer before he re-signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. Even with the new deal, however, a Portland team embracing a rebuild could look to move Grant to get younger and less expensive.
If so, a midseason deal for Grant could be just what the doctor ordered. He’s certainly not the rim protector that Allen is, but he is a plus defender who can defend multiple positions. On offense, he is a good shooter, especially for a power forward, and would be an excellent fit alongside Mobley in the frontcourt.