Grade the Trade: OKC Thunder snag Cavaliers big man after Playoff loss in striking new proposal

What do the Cavs do?

Losing Jarrett Allen is not a everyday type of trade. Allen defined Cleveland's defensive mindset after joining the team in 2021 as part of the James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets. In this deal, the Cavaliers receive three imperfect bench players, two protected picks, and $3 million of cap space freed. In most scenarios, this is a relatively high return for a one-time All-Star who has a flaky reputation in the playoffs.

The Cavs, though, would have to have a plan in place for all assets received in this trade, and that plan would likely not include keeping any of them long-term other than possibly Jaylin Williams. Kenrich's minutes per game dropped significantly in the playoffs, falling from 14.9 per night in the regular season to 4.7 in the postseason. When Kenrich Williams has played, he makes two-way impact relatively consistently. The Cavaliers cannot afford another bad fit next to Mobley, and Kenrich likely does not fit that mold. He is a subpar rebounder and low-volume three-point shooter. Even though he made 39.7 percent of his threes last season, he still is far from a knockdown option on the perimeter.

Jaylin Williams, on the other hand, would be a positive addition for the Cavaliers. After relying on Damian Jones and an older Tristan Thompson at the backup five spot this season, Jaylin provides a more believable option as a long-term backup center. He has played a fairly small role with OKC but would receive an increase in opportunities with the Cavs if Mobley is the sole center. While J. Williams might not fulfill everything the Cavaliers need, he is worth a chance after showing some flashes of worthwhile talent in his first two seasons.

Regarding Giddey, the Cavaliers would be far from thrilled to take another non-shooter into the locker room. Aside from Giddey's complicated off-court dramas, Cleveland would find it hard to discover a real role for Giddey. He has become a project player with endless potential if he can develop a three-point shot. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers do not have the time to wait, as they have already shown with both Mobley and Isaac Okoro.

The two first-round picks give the Cavaliers the option to flip assets into another trade for a star player soon enough, likely including one of Giddey or K. Williams in the deal. The ultimate return for Allen in this sort of construction would not be realized immediately. The Thunder have a plethora of trade assets and young players that would be a perfect deal for a rebuilding team tearing everything down to the foundation. Cleveland is still in a win-now mindset, especially if Mitchell re-signs. For those reasons, this trade is not an ideal option if the Cavs move on from Allen this summer.

In the end, the Cleveland Cavaliers do not return anything of real interest in this deal. Looking at the Thunder's roster and assets, they would not likely have a much better offer possible for the Cavs without losing one of their best talents. There is the potential that a third team enters the conversation who can take time to develop OKC's players, but the Cavaliers would probably say no to most offers the Thunder can make in a one-to-one negotiation.