After one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their playoff run end in the second round, gentleman-swept by the Indiana Pacers. Ahead of Game 5, NBA insider Zach Lowe and The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney discussed the Cavs’ future, including whether teams could pounce on potential trades if Cleveland decides to blow things up. That led to Lowe suggesting the Lakers tap the Cavs for one of their key players.
NBA Insider: Lakers Should Call Cavs About Star Center
Lowe Urges Lakers to Check on Jarrett Allen
Any rumblings about the Cavs will only increase after their surprising postseason exit. Lowe previously said that should the Cavs lose in the semis, “It’s going to be very tempting to start building fake Darius Garland trades and fake Jarrett Allen trades.” He also mentioned the Magic and Lakers would be good suitors for those respective players.
“And look, if I’m the Lakers, I’m calling about Jarrett Allen, sure,” he added.
However, Lowe also mentioned an important caveat: “I would be very cautious, if I were the Cavs, about overreacting too much. … I would be hesitant to do something really rash with a team that won 64 games and has a lot of good stuff going for it … but I would poke around, at least.”
Allen played and started in all 82 games for the first time in his career. In 28 minutes a night, the 27-year-old averaged 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 blocks per game. He also shot a league-best 70.6% from the field and hit 71% of his free-throws. In the playoffs, Allen put up 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per game on 72% shooting.
In a post to X following the Cavs’ elimination, owner Dan Gilbert wrote in part: “I promise you we will do everything humanly possible to address what needs to be fixed and end in a much better place next year.”
Could Lakers Realistically Trade for Jarrett Allen?
The Lakers’ need for a center is well-documented, and Allen would certainly solve the team’s lack of rim protection while being an agile lob threat for LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
However, fans shouldn’t rush to Photoshop just yet.
Cleveland is coming off of their best season in the post-James era, a long way from the 19-win seasons they endured after the King’s departure. As Lowe mentioned, the front office should not make rash decisions just because they bowed out early. Hanging onto the core players that got them there—Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Garland and Allen among them—is the best course of action.
But if the Cavs ever considered breaking up that successful group, it would likely only be for monetary purposes, getting under the second apron that’s plagued both title winners and contenders. Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension last July, a deal that takes effect in 2026-27. For now, he’s still making $20 million, a number the Lakers could match if they wanted to.
Compared to Allen, who is under contract with Cleveland until 2029, the purple and gold have several expiring deals they could offer in a trade. Rui Hachimura ($18.2 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) will all enter unrestricted free agency next summer, and the Lakers could package any of them in trades to address positions of need this offseason. Dangling any of those players (plus filler salary and draft capital) is a tall task for LA but not out of the realm of possibility.
The Last Word
It’s clear that trades are the best avenue toward improving the Lakers roster. With several assets at their disposal, Rob Pelinka would be wise to call the Cavs about Jarrett Allen, a defensive standout who, despite recent struggles, can raise any contender’s ceiling.
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