At 14-11, the Cleveland Cavaliers should not be risking a seismic shake-up just yet. If the trend of inconsistency and underperforming continues right until the NBA trade deadline, then there could be a different story in Northeast Ohio.
Panic levels are not high yet. The Eastern Conference also offers plenty of room for movement as far as the standings go. Only a small handful of games separate second place and ninth place in the East in 2025-26. The Cavaliers fall in that in-between.
Should Cleveland fail to capitalize on that set-up, the Indiana Pacers are one phone call away and capable of providing a makeover before the clock strikes 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 5, marking the deadline to make deals. A key piece of intel from Shams Charania provides the reasoning as to why.
Charania wrote, "The Pacers are in active trade talks around the league to find a center of the future after losing Myles Turner in free agency, sources said."
Jarrett Allen would be primed for the Pacers' radar
The Cleveland Cavaliers starting center would offer the Pacers what they are looking for between now and February. Allen would be a considerable upgrade over anyone from the trio of Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, and Tony Bradley.
There may be a genuine concern here of whether the Cavaliers are actually setting a division rival up too well with that potential trade. Allen could certainly play off Tyrese Haliburton well when the Pacers point guard eventually returns from his Achilles injury.
If Cleveland feels confident they can overcome Indiana under those circumstances, plus the addition of a high-end talent in the 2026 NBA Draft, there could be business to be had. The Cavaliers can finally hand Evan Mobley the keys to the center position and unleash him there.
That move would allow Cleveland to maximize the spacing on the floor. One would hope that anyone they get from Indiana, or a third trade partner, in a potential deal would only help to strengthen their new approach.
However, there is some evidence to reject the idea of discarding Allen and allowing Mobley to move over to center. In a small sample size of 57 minutes, the Cavs core four has posted a net rating of 28.1 sharing the court.
To juxtapose that, a four-man combination of Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, and Jaylon Tyson has thrived even more. Those players have a similar sample of 56 minutes, and have posted an even better net rating of 38.0 together.
Realistically, it is tough to put too much stock into the data considering how injured the Cavs have been. The front office will need more time to evaluate what they have. If February arrives and Cleveland does want to make a change, it is clear that a natural trade partner has quietly emerged.