Jarrett Allen deserves a bit more appreciation.
He does have a single All-Star appearance to his name, earned years ago before Evan Mobley ascended to the height of his powers and Donovan Mitchell came on board. In the years since, however, Allen has been the most maligned of the Cleveland Cavaliers' collection of stars.
From being the first name on the trade block (he did survive Darius Garland, though, so point for him) to getting blasted for the team's playoff losses and his postgame honesty, Allen is often spoken of as a liability rather than a strength.
The reality is that Allen remains a really good two-way center. And as the value of centers skyrockets, the Cavaliers need to appreciate not only how good of an anchor they have, but how properly paid he is.
Jalen Duren and the exploding center market
After a months-long standoff, All-NBA center Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons agreed to a five-year, $200 million contract that will pay Duren an average of $40 million per season over the next five years. While Duren was eligible for more after making an All-NBA team this past year, that also marked a massive increase on the amount he likely would have signed for a year ago.
The Los Angeles Lakers also signed a center to a lucrative new deal, executing a sign-and-trade for former Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Not only did they trade two first-round picks and two first-round swaps, but they also signed Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract, paying him an average of $32.5 million.
Teams threw money at centers this offseason. Even backups like Jock Landale received $14 million on a one-year deal. Jusuf Nurkic is making $11 million per season and is not a Top-30 center in the league. Everyone wants bigs and is paying through the nose for them.
Jarrett Allen is a value on his current contract
The Pistons have to warp their ability to build out a team around paying $40 million to Duren over the next five years. The Lakers are paying $32.5 million to an unproven big who missed most of last season due to injury.
Jarrett Allen will make $28 million this season and an average of $30 million over the next three on his three-year, $90 million extension that just began. That average annual value ranks only 13th among all centers in the league. While rivals are paying top dollar, the Cavs got their center on a locked-in value deal.
Allen remains extremely talented and impactful. He can defend the rim and in space. He is a solid rebounder. His touch around the rim remains underrated. He is an ideal roll man for guards. And through it all, he is a no-fuss, low-maintenance player who happily accepts whatever role the team needs from him.
There is an arms race across the league to get size, and that is resulting in massive contracts being handed out. Allen is already locked-in, and the Cavs are not overpaying for their great center.
Perhaps a little more appreciation is appropriate.
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