NBA Trade Idea Sends Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen to Nets

Could the Brooklyn Nets be the one to take a swing on Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen?

Mar 11, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) throws a pass beside Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) in the third quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers now enter, as Donovan Mitchell calls it, a "loud summer," bound to have an assortment of offseason chatter and discussions as to how this roster may look to change and adjust for the season ahead.

For many, the Cavaliers are in a prime position to run it back with largely the same core; one led by the "Core Four" of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen as the backbone of this roster, as they've been for the past three seasons.

But what if there was a move on the table to shake up that four-man core? In the eyes of Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes, there could be an opportunity on the table involving their star center in Allen, and his former team, the Brooklyn Nets.

In Hughes' latest trade idea, he sees the Cavs diving into a major swap with the Nets, trading Allen and a couple of other assets in exchange for Cam Johnson:

Cleveland Cavaliers acquire: Cam Johnson

Brooklyn Nets acquire: Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and a 2031 first-round pick (top-14-protected)

One of the most sought after trade assets from this past trade deadline and a versatile piece to be added into any team's lineup, it's hard to hate the idea of adding Johnson into the fold for the Cavs next season, even in exchange for a talent like Allen,

During Johnson's last season for Brooklyn, he played in 57 total games to average 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 39.0% shooting from three. As a high-end defender with good length and a strong offensive skillset, he and DeAndre Hunter could be a great one-two punch at the forward position, and provide an ideal shakeup and perhaps necessary shake up to this starting five.

It may be a tough pill to swallow in trading a former first rounder in Jaylon Tyson and a future on in 2031 in an effort to acquire Johnson. But in a market that could be competitive in acquiring a top 3&D talent in the league as it was during this year's trade deadline, the price tag might be high in order to get hands on the 29-year-old.

For the Nets, they'd not only be getting a top rim protector to pair next to the likes of Nic Claxton but also add a few extra pieces for the future as a part of their long-term rebuild process–– effectively capitalizing on their veteran asset, and giving the Cavaliers an extra dose of versatility in their lineup for the 2025-26 campaign.

It might not quite be the perfect trade proposal, but one that the Cavs could take interest in across the course of this long and unpredictable summer.