Cavs Drafting Jaylon Tyson Means Jarrett Allen Is Safe For Now

The Cavaliers passed on an impressive stretch big in DaRon Holmes, which could mean that Jarrett Allen is safe in Cleveland.

Apr 2, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) reacts to a call against the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers took University of California wing Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick of the NBA Draft, passing on Dayton stretch big DaRon Holmes and indicating that Jarrett Allen will be on the roster next season.

Trade speculation has been swirling around Allen, with some questioning whether or not he was truly the right big to put alongside of Evan Mobley.

You know who would have been a pretty good frontcourt mate for Mobley? Holmes, the 6-foot-10 defensive wiz who shot 38.6 percent from three-point range in his final collegiate season.

Holmes has even drawn some comparisons to Myles Turner, the Indiana Pacers star who has established himself as sort of a prototype for the modern NBA big: long, can defend in space, can move well and space the floor.

While Allen is certainly a terrific defender, he doesn't exactly offer a whole lot in the way of offense outside of scoring around the basket. He is a capable free-throw shooter, but he is likely never going to be a perimeter threat.

And you know what? That's okay, especially considering everything else Allen brings to the table. But it could become an issue when you are playing alongside of another big man who also doesn't really have a whole lot of range (although Mobley did shoot 22-for-59 from downtown this season).

Regardless, Donovan Mitchell loves Allen, and his future with the Cavaliers may very well depend on what the team decides to do with Allen this offseason. Not surprisingly, Cleveland has appeared to be leaning toward keeping Allen, and the Cavs rolling with Tyson over Holmes may very well have just slammed the door shut on any potential Allen trade.

Of course, nothing is a given. If another team comes along and blows the Cavaliers away with an offer for Allen, they may weigh it. The point is that the choice of Tyson indicates that Cleveland is not actively trying to move Allen, in spite of the fact that many suggested the Cavs should do just that this summer.