Report: Cavs have “no interest” in trading Jarrett Allen

The Cavs’ starting center has been playing at an All-Star level for over a month.

Since losing his usual frontcourt running mate last month, Jarrett Allen has been playing at an All-Star level. That high level of play has been enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers to tell prospective trade partners that they have no intention of moving their starting center at the trade deadline.

According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes through Marc Stein’s Substack, the Cavs “have no interest in fielding trade interest” for Allen. Since Evan Mobley went down with a knee injury in December, the 25-year-old Allen has averaged 18.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game en route to a 14-4 turnaround. Those numbers have gotten him some All-Star buzz heading into February.

Allen’s play over the last month is an enormous reason why the Cavs have not only stayed afloat in the Eastern Conference but shot up the standings. Moving on from him would seem crazy, especially with the usual starters likely coming back sooner rather than later and the team returning to full health.

Nevertheless, there would certainly be interest from other teams in trading for Allen. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fisher noted last month that the New Orleans Pelicans had shown interest in acquiring Allen and the remaining two years left on his five-year $100 million contract. But the Cavs apparently will opt to keep Allen, going so far as to tell other teams a flat “no” if they inquire about him.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, February 8th at 3 p.m. EST.