Jarrett Allen's injury absence in the month of March exposed just how valuable of stabilizing force the starting center is for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without him in the lineup, the Cavs looked like a far worse version of themselves. A big part of that has been the lack of depth in the frontcourt.
Evan Mobley shifted to the center position during Allen's time off the court. The results were fine, but not ultimately great. The big issue, more so than any of Mobley's struggles and shortcomings, was the rotation that came after the young big man. To put it kindly, it was lacking.
Thomas Bryant has his moments. There are times when the veteran center reminds everyone of how seasoned his experience in the league is. Bryant is only going to give you so much, though. That is why Bleacher Report's NBA Draft expert, Jonathan Wasserman, had the Cavs bolstering that position in the upcoming offseason.
Wasserman pegged Arizona's Motiejus Krivas as the guy for the Cavaliers at the 29th overall pick (via the San Antonio Spurs) in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. The addition could potentially set up Cleveland with that all-important third big behind Mobley and Allen.
Motiejus Krivas could immediately be Cavaliers' best bench big next season
The Cavaliers tried to solve this issue during the 2025 offseason by bringing Larry Nance Jr. back to Cleveland. The idea was a nice one, the results have been lacking.
In theory, Nance could have slotted in at the four or the five, allowing for versatility in how the frontcourt was deployed. In practice, the veteran Cavalier has been mostly unplayable as the season has gone on.
Krivas does not offer the same kind of malleability, but the trade-off here would be for dependability.
Wasserman raved about the Arizona center, writing, "Krivas possesses massive size and strength for rim protection, while his 80.9 free-throw percentage indicates unique paint touch for a player with such overwhelming physical tools."
The NBA Draft expert compared him to the likes of Ivica Zubac. The Indiana Pacers center is the type of center any team would love to have. If the Cavaliers even get a fraction of that, they would be pleased with themselves. At 21 years old, Cleveland would hope he is on the more NBA-ready side of prospects too.
If the Cavaliers want to avoid another situation of losing Allen and limping on in the process after the fact, they need real reinforcements behind him. In an ideal scenario, Krivas could offer them that much.