JUST IN: Jarrett Allen reportedly receiving long-term interest from a next door team.
In the event that the Cleveland Cavaliers choose to deal center Jarrett Allen this summer, it appears that one team may fulfill their long-standing interest.
Allen has long been coveted by the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Since Jonas Valanciunas is slated to become a free agency this summer and the Pelicans would prefer a better rim protector at center, they will probably attempt to replace the veteran center this offseason.
According to Clark, the Pelicans have previously shown “significant interest” in Allen but have never been successful in persuading the Cavaliers to give him up. This offseason, that might change as rumors have it that the Cavaliers might try to trade for him. That might be a result of Allen’s injury sustained during the playoffs, which several Cavaliers players believed he ought to have made a greater effort to play through.
On a five-year, $100 million contract that he signed in 2021, the 26-year-old Allen has two years left on it. Although it’s unclear how much the Cavaliers would ask in a trade for him, he could definitely fit that rim protector role. This past season, he averaged 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for Cleveland.
