The NBA has plenty of young, talented bigs — but perhaps none quite like Cavs center Jarrett Allen.
As a well-rounded and versatile big on the rise, he could come in and make an immediate impact on any team. In Cleveland, he is seen as one of their best players and most prized assets.
But with the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft, it is widely believed that the Cavs could pick up USC’s Evan Mobley, opening the door for the possibility that Allen gets flipped to make room for his arrival.
“I had this discussion with Chris Fedor, cleveland.com’s superb basketball writer,” Pluto said regarding what the Cavaliers do if they select Mobley at No. 3 overall. “He quickly said, ‘Sign-and-trade.’”
Since Allen and Mobley have a similar playstyle, it wouldn’t make much sense to keep them both on the roster.
Considering his age and talent, the Cavs could net a quality return in a sign-and-trade (Allen is a restricted free agent this summer).
The question is, which teams would step up with an offer? The Lakers, Warriors, Hornets, and Mavericks are all reported to have an interest but we’ll see soon enough how much they value the young stud.
