The Cleveland Cavaliers entered this summer with the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen potentially on the trade block.
Since then, front office head Koby Altman and Co. have done a lot of work. Mitchell was handed a max contract extensoin. Garland was taken off the NBA trade block. Most recently, Allen inked a three-year, $91 million extension with the Cavs.
This seemed to suggest that the All-Star big man would be sticking in Cleveland over the long haul. But that’s seemingly just on the surface.
Allen, 26, needed to sign said extension before August 6 in order to be eligible to be dealt ahead of the in-season NBA trade deadline, which comes February 6. NBA rules prohibit players from being traded over a six-month span after signing an extension.
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Teams still eyeing Cleveland Cavaliers star Jarrett Allen after contract extension
NBA insider Marc Stein reported recently that Allen was “essentially obligated” to sign said extension ahead of August 6 in order to be eligible for an in-season trade. Stein also noted that other teams are keeping an eye on the 6-foot-11 big.
A first-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets out of Texas in the 2017 NBA Draft, Allen was dealt to Cleveland early in the 2020-21 campaign. It was part of a broader deal that sent James Harden from the Houston Rockets to Brooklyn.
Since then, he’s taken off big time. This past season saw Allen average 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 63% shooting while finishing in the top-10 of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.
There will certainly be a ton of interest in him ahead of February’s deadline. This includes logical potential landing spots in that of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.