Cavaliers GM rumored to be choosing the 1 unacceptable option for this offseason

There is plenty to like about the Cleveland Cavaliers' future. After being out of the playoff picture for four straight season's after LeBron James' departure in 2018, the Cavs have now found themselves in the top four of the Eastern Conference in back-to-back years — earning their first playoff series victory without number 23 on the roster in six years just a month ago.

Going forward, Cleveland has a lot of pieces they can work with to build a roster that can go even deeper into the playoffs down the road. Donovan Mitchell proved once again in the 2024 playoffs the type of game-changer he can be in a 16-game setting, and convincing him to re-sign would of course be massive.

Outside their top priority of keeping Mitchell in town, the Cavaliers will also need to do some analysis to figure out how best to utilize this roster going forward, including which players to keep and which to shop. If Donovan extends, there is the possibility Darius Garland and his representation will seek to find him a new home.

But when it comes to searching out trades for their currently rostered players, it does not seem the Cavs will have any kind of high priority on moving any of their top four guys. According to a report from Yahoo Sports Senior NBA Reporter Jake Fischer, Cleveland has not been entertaining rival teams' offers for Jarrett Allen, and they "don’t appear very motivated to listen to trade inquiries for any member of their core four."

The Cavaliers will be reluctant to part with any of their core 4

Unfortunately, the bit about being unwilling to trade any of the top four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is a bit shortsighted. We have seen what that group is capable of over a sizeable sample size of two whole seasons. Yes, there have been injuries. But by and large, we know what the Cavs can and cannot get out of that group.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the two-big lineups with Mobley and Allen. That is not to say a two-big lineup cannot work in today's league at all, as we just saw the Timberwolves go to the Western Conference Finals while rolling with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert as their starting four and five. But the problem lies in the capabilities of those players.

Unfortunately, Evan and Jarrett are simply black holes on offense. They are an impenetrable brick wall defensively, but their lack of an offensive game is what leads to inconsistencies on offense when they both share the floor. This is why it would make much more sense for the Cavs to look into moving Allen. Going back to the Timberwolves example, Gobert is a similarly challenged offensive player, but Towns is a lethal shooter. That is the main difference between those two duos.

All in all, having trust in your roster and choosing to just run things back is not always a bad decision. Sometimes patience truly pays off in the long run. But the chances of that happening are far less likely when we have already seen how limited this team is with all four of those guys on the floor together. Cleveland would be much better off listening to and considering reasonable trade offers for Jarrett Allen and others.