As the NBA's most expensive roster this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an incoming salary crisis.
While Cleveland's rivals sign team-friendly contracts with any non-star player, the Cavs have loaded more than $130 million in just four players. With three second-round playoff exits in a row, the questions regarding long-term viability for the Cavaliers' core are growing larger and larger.
Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs' two All-NBA talents, are seemingly untouchable in trade talks. Mobley achieved the franchise's first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award following a breakout fourth season. Mitchell has continued his Cavaliers tenure with another All-Star appearance and All-NBA selection.
In a league-wide trade proposal article, Bleacher Reports' Andy Bailey reviewed one trade every NBA team would make if the deadline took place before the season opener. For the Cavaliers, that trade targeted solving the frontcourt redundancy and inevitable cap crisis by making a deal with a heated division rival.
The Cavaliers fix the Pacers' frontcourt in new mock trade
Bailey identified the Cavs' continued debate surrounding the tandem of Mobley and Jarrett Allen. As Mobley ascends higher into stardom, the expectations that he assumes the full-time center job have only risen. Those discussions simultaneously increase the heat to move on from Allen.
Cleveland does not have to search far for an ideal trade partner, according to Bailey. The Indiana Pacers, in the wake of losing Myles Turner to a surprise deal with the Milwaukee Bucks after Damian Lillard's unprecedented waive-and-stretch exit, could show significant interest in the one-time All-Star Cavs big man.
In return for Allen, Cleveland adds two high-end role players who theoretically fit the mold for the Cavaliers' playstyle. Obi Toppin, a hyper-athletic forward with a solid three-point shot, would likely become Mobley's starting frontcourt partner. Ben Sheppard, while still a raw prospect, could fit into the Cavs' nightly rotation upon arrival as a solid defensive guard with offensive upside.
Bailey confirms this trade is not a do-or-die scenario for the Cavaliers, but he describes how the addition of Toppin and Sheppard can elevate the team's potential.
With Mobley at the five, Bailey writes that Cleveland could deploy more shooting in the starting lineup with De'Andre Hunter and Toppin filling both forward spots alongside the star backcourt duo of Mitchell and Darius Garland. Sheppard becomes a valuable bench player on the wing.
Who says no?
After Turner's exit from Indy, the Cavaliers had an immediate advantage in big man talent over their divisional rival who ended their season early just a few months ago. Allen may not have the shooting talent of Turner, but his defensive tenacity and rim-running production would be a noticeable upgrade from Indiana's current center options.
If the Pacers called the Cavaliers today with this offer, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman almost certainly hangs up, hardly being interested in making a division rival better when there is no immediate need for a deal. As Bailey notes, the Cavaliers are not in a position that makes a trade necessary, especially as they sit at the top of the Eastern Conference as the favorite to win the Conference Finals.
By the time the February trade deadline comes up, however, Cleveland's perspective could shift in favor of constructing the roster around Mobley as the lone big man in the starting five. On the court, adding a floor-spacing player like Toppin improves the Cavaliers' perimeter offense and gives Mobley more room to operate in the post. Additionally, Toppin's high-flying highlights on fastbreaks adds another layer of speed and versatility to the Cavs' offense.
Exchanging Allen for two valuable role players and a future first-round pick eliminates problems among the Cavaliers' current group, but it also brings financial flexibility. This season, Allen is owed $20 million, but his new contract kicks in during the 2026 offseason, bringing him to $28 million annual average value.
Toppin's and Sheppard's combined 2026-27 salaries equal just over $20 million, bringing the Cavaliers down $8 million split between two players. Sheppard's contract also holds a team option in 2026, leaving the option for the Cavs to move on from his $5 million if his fit does not match the expectations.
As of late October 2025, the Cleveland Cavaliers reject this deal, but the potential benefits could eventually outweigh the questions by the turn of the calendar year. Injuries, redundancy in the frontcourt and salary cap panic could create an environment that makes this trade the Cavs' best opportunity to build around Mobley.