New NBA Trade Rumors on Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Max Strus amid Harden, Mitchell Contract Buzz
Should the Cleveland Cavaliers endure another disappointing finish in the NBA playoffs, a shakeup could be coming to the core of their squad.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote Sunday the Cavs can only trade one first-round pick (2031) this offseason. That "might create pressure to adjust the roster elsewhere."
Windhorst reported center Jarrett Allen has garnered outside interest, while guard Max Strus is another prospective trade chip. Young forward Evan Mobley also "has been coveted by rival teams ever since he was drafted No. 3 by Cleveland in 2021."
Windhorst posited that neither Allen nor Strus would likely yield a star-level return, especially when accounting for Cleveland's pick restrictions.
Allen is a very good center, averaging 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks during the regular season. As a traditional big, though, his inability to stretch the floor becomes a bigger problem in the postseason. Contending teams would take that in mind when they entertained trade ideas.
Strus is even more of a complementary piece. His two-way game makes him very valuable, but he's not a singular difference-maker in a playoff series.
The Cavs are pretty much in the same boat with James Harden when he turns 37 in August and can be a free agent if he declines his player option. According to Windhorst, however, his trade to Cleveland basically came with the condition the team would work to re-sign him. He could be out of the trade picture entirely.
Mobley is the one player who could plausibly be the centerpiece of a blockbuster. The Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25, he put up 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this season.
At 24, the 6'11" forward is entering the prime of his career, and he's signed through 2029-30. A team trading away a major star could pivot and orient its future around Mobley in the frontcourt.
From Cleveland's perspective, is the potential short-term gain of trading Mobley worth the long-term consequences?
Donovan Mitchell is eligible for free agency for 2027. Even assuming he re-signs, there aren't any guarantees he sticks around for more than a few years.
In the worst-case scenario, Mobley would at least help guide the next phase for the Cavaliers if Mitchell requested a trade and the organization's championship window slammed shut.
Take Mobley out of the equation and a rebuild becomes even more challenging.
