Western Conference Team Reportedly Still Covets Cavaliers Jarrett Allen

To this point Cleveland has expressed their desire to keep Allen in Wine and Gold next season

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

To this point in the offseason the Cavaliers have been reluctant to even suggest that they may be exploring trades that would break up the "core four." What's going on behind closed doors may be another story though.

For several weeks now the Cavaliers have been linked to the New Orleans Pelicans as a potential trade partner. Initially, the Pelicans may have been showing interest in young guard Darius Garland. More recently though that focus has reportedly pivoted to big man Jarrett Allen.

Such a move would make sense considering they traded big men Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller to Atlanta as part of a trade to acquire Dejounte Murray. Additionally, starting center Jonas Valanciunas left toe franchise to sign with the Washington Wizards, which leaves a pressing void in the front court for New Orleans.

While the Cavaliers have remained publicly staunch against moving Allen a recent report indicates the Pelicans are still showing some interest. According to the Athletic's William Guillory, Allen is one of several bigs that New Orleans has been keeping an eye on this offseason.

"Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen and Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. are both players the Pelicans have coveted for some time, according to team sources," wrote Guillory. "Each possesses qualities that New Orleans is looking for now and down the line at the position. Allen, in particular, is a player the Pelicans have kept tabs on for years."

#Cavaliers make a major addition to Kenny Atkinson's staff by hiring Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant to serve in the same role here in Cleveland. https://t.co/HMJ3ifiQ0p

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"However, the Cavaliers have placed immense value on Allen’s contributions even though his offensive fit next to Evan Mobley has at times been clunky. The addition of Kenny Atkinson as Cleveland’s new head coach makes an Allen deal feel like more of a long shot; Allen thrived under Atkinson in their three seasons together in Brooklyn."

The relationship between Atkinson and Allen certainly does add an interesting wrinkle to the situation and may be even more reason to keep the current Cavaliers roster intact. That said, as the Pelicans potentially float 6-foot-8 wing Brandon Ingram in a trade package – a skillset the Cavaliers are desperately thin on – it could be enough to entice president of basketball operations Koby Altman into making a move. Altman has plenty of familiarity with New Orleans' president of basketball operations David Griffin, having worked under him here in Cleveland from 2012-2017.

For now anyway, the Cavs seem to be sticking to their guns in refusing to move on from Allen or any members of the "core 4."