A rough patch is an understatement for what the Cleveland Cavaliers are going through.
Cleveland's first 25 games of the season have landed them a 14-11 record and the seven seed in the Eastern Conference. After winning 64 games last regular season only to be embarrassed in the second round of the playoffs, the slow start has amplified critics' voices around the Cavs.
The new luxury tax second apron may prevent the Cavaliers from making many impactful moves mid-season, but Bleacher Report's latest piece is saying out loud what the fan base recognized long ago.
Written by Grant Hughes, the article offers the most likely player to be traded from all 30 NBA franchises. The Cavaliers' most likely candidate was starting center Jarrett Allen. At the start of the season, B/R also wrote a trade suggestion to send Allen to the division rival Indiana Pacers, and Hughes' article expands on the likely end to Allen's Cavs tenure.
"Evan Mobley is spending roughly two-thirds of his minutes at center these days, and Jarrett Allen is only averaging 26.1 minutes per game, his lowest figure since his rookie year in 2017-18."Grant Hughes
Allen has also been silently removed from head coach Kenny Atkinson's closing lineup, replacing him with Evan Mobley at the five and Jaylon Tyson on the wing. As Allen disappears from the Cavaliers' crucial moments and lineups, his standing as an untouchable pillar is seemingly vanishing.
Hughes' comments ended with a simple but honest statement. If the Cavaliers plan for Mobley to serve as the starting center, paying Allen significant money to play the same role is a backwards approach that needs changed.
Cleveland needs to consider Allen trades seriously
As a Cavalier, Allen elevated his status as an okay center with the Brooklyn Nets to a defensive anchor and nimble rim runner on offense. Cleveland has valued his defensive prowess, immediately defining the young team by his interior presence before Mobley's arrival.
Allen joined Darius Garland as the first All-Stars of the new Cavs era in 2022, establishing his footing on the team.
Trading Allen is not an every day move. He has been a core member of the roster and helped elevate the Cavs back to postseason contention. The Cavaliers have learned in recent years that growth requires moving on from the original plan. In the first years of Cleveland's core four era, J.B. Bickerstaff led the coaching staff. After two failed playoff runs, Bickerstaff was fired and replaced by Atkinson. Atkinson's first season gave Cleveland a historic regular season and a Coach of the Year award.
The Cavs have replaced the coaching leadership. They have rebuilt the bench rotation. Still, the second round has been an unbeatable blockade for their postseaosn success. The only approach the Cavaliers have not tried is changing the core to complement one another rather than repeat each other's talents and flaws.
Allen trades should not be the top priority for Cleveland. Developing Mobley into a true second star must be the main focus, and considering he has struggled even with Allen sidelined with injury, trading Allen will not suddenly resolve the Cavs' biggest need.
Still, the Cleveland Cavaliers have tried everything to become a real contender except restructure the core. Jarrett Allen's skills are valued by any team in the NBA, and it's time the Cavs pick up the phone with an open mind about what a future without Allen could look like.