Report: Cavs Could Trade Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland This Offseason

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cleveland Cavaliers could trade Jarrett Allen and/or Darius Garland this offseason. 

Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 million extension with Cleveland last summer. The big man winning the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year Award triggered a clause in his contract that calls for him to increase the first-year salary of his rookie-scale extension from 25 to 30% of the salary cap.

As a result, the Cavaliers are now projected to have $219 million in salary for the 2025-26 season and be over the second apron.

“I think the two untouchables are Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley,” Fedor said. “I have been getting the sense that the Cavs would be more willing to entertain and at least consider possibilities for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland than they have in the past.”

The Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East this year. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round in five games. 

“So I just think when you’re at a point that the Cavs are at with their roster the way the season ended earlier than anybody expected and with their salary cap situation, you have to start considering some of these alternatives and you have to start having very difficult conversations, conversations that are going to be painful, maybe even subtractions from the roster that are going to be painful,” Fedor said.

Garland made his second All-Star team this year. He averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists during the regular season and 18.0 points and 5.2 assists in the playoffs. 

Meanwhile, Allen appeared in all 82 games for the Cavaliers this season. He averaged 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in the regular season and 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in the postseason. 

The Cavaliers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018.