The Cleveland Cavaliers are making moves with the kind of urgency that tells you everything you need to know: They're terrified of losing Donovan Mitchell.
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, Cleveland has been gauging Jarrett Allen's trade value as a way of unlocking "bigger possibilities" - like acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, or James Harden.
Why the desperation? Because Mitchell is extension-eligible this summer, and there are legitimate concerns he won't commit long-term if Cleveland has another early playoff exit.
Let me break this down for you, folks. Donovan Mitchell has been bounced in the first or second round every single year of his career. He's 29 years old. He's never made a Conference Finals. And now he's watching the Cavaliers hover around .500 at the midpoint of the season.
Would you commit to five more years of that?
The Cavs won eight of their last 10 games before this news broke - nothing to sneeze at - but they were 22-19 at the halfway mark. That's mediocrity. That's not championship contention. And Mitchell knows it.
So Cleveland is exploring every option, including trading Allen's contract ($90.7 million over the next three seasons) to create salary flexibility for a blockbuster move. Allen is a good player - an All-Star-caliber center who anchors their defense - but he's not the piece that puts them over the top.
The problem? Can Cleveland actually pull this off?
They're operating in the second apron, which severely limits their trade flexibility. They don't have a treasure trove of draft picks to offer. And every other contender is chasing the same stars they are.
Giannis is the dream scenario, but would Milwaukee really trade him to Cleveland? Anthony Davis has injury concerns and is 31 years old. James Harden is 36 and coming off yet another playoff disappointment.
