NBA Draft Rumor: Mavs 'Reach Out' to Cavs' For Jarrett Allen Trade

If the Dallas Mavericks are in search for a veteran big man upgrade, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen may just be the answer.

Michael Mulford | Jun 22, 2023

With just a few hours away from the start of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks' decision on what to do with the No. 10 pick is on the horizon.

Dallas has been consistently rumored to be seeking a veteran win-now piece if they were to part ways with the pick, with all signs pointing to the Mavs in search of a rim-protecting big man.

On Thursday, Cleveland.com reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers 'continue to receive trade offers' for center Jarrett Allen, including recently being contacted by the Mavericks.

"Sources say the Dallas Mavericks, who own the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and have sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. — a player the Cavs discussed at the February trade deadline — were one team that recently reached out about Allen’s availability,” Chris Fedor wrote.

“While it’s unclear what was offered, the Mavericks have been seeking a pick-and-roll partner for guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving."

For the Mavericks, Allen would certainly fit the mold of the anchor that Dallas is seeking to man the middle of their defense to both rebound and protect the rim. On offense, Allen would be an elite rim runner and lob threat in the pick-and-roll alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

And for Cleveland, the big man duo of Allen and Evan Mobley struggled during their first-round exit against the New York Knicks. Trading Allen would move Mobley to the center position while adding Hardaway Jr., who Cleveland had rumored interest in at the deadline, to bolster the Cavs' wing depth.

This season, Allen averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just under 33 minutes per game, where both his rebound and block numbers would rank No. 1 on this past season's Mavericks team.

If the Cavaliers are interested in said deal, or a trade to a similar makeup, the Mavericks may have their anchor of the future in Allen.

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Published Jun 22, 2023

MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.