Cavs Center Jarrett Allen Is Drawing Interest in NBA Trade Market

An Eastern Conference playoff team has Allen in its radar.

May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) moves the ball while defended by New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the third quarter during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NBA offseason is filled with rumors of teams wanting to sign a certain player or trade for another player, and Cleveland is no stranger to these rumors. For the entirety of this off-time, the Cavs have been the subject of tons of stories linking them to Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, and, of course, LeBron James.

The lone free-agent addition is forward Mario Hezonja, who is trying to make an NBA comeback after spending the last six years in European leagues. The trade talks do not stop, though, as there is reported interest in Cavs center Jarrett Allen from an up-and-coming Eastern Conference foe.

What Team is Interested in Allen?

The Atlanta Hawks have shown interest in Allen for some time, per Jake Fischer.

Atlanta just finished in the sixth seed of the East last year, where they went toe-to-toe with the eventual champion New York Knicks. The Hawks are currently starting seventh-year big man Onyeka Okongwu, who had a much-improved year in 2025-26, averaging a career-high in points per game (15.2) and three-point percentage (37.6%).

While Atlanta has demonstrated curiosity in acquiring Allen, the Cavs still have not entertained moving him. We saw a similar situation back in February when Cleveland also said no to a deal that would send Allen to Chicago in exchange for Nikola Vucevic and a first-round pick. 

Allen has now played six seasons for the Cavaliers, averaging 14.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 65% from the floor per game. He has been an All-Star one time in his second season with Cleveland, when he averaged a double-double of 16.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

For Atlanta, the deal makes sense as Okongwu has been a rising center and could play next to Allen in a big lineup as Evan Mobley does. For Cleveland, they have shown interest in Hawks free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, so there could be a possible sign-and-trade that revolves around those two guys. 

Atlanta might still have to find a third team in the deal, though, as they currently have too many players on their current roster. 

Does the general outline of the deal make sense for Cleveland though? The first instinct is no because of Koby Altman’s constant refusal to get rid of Allen and the reports that the organization is not looking to move him. 

At some point though, Cleveland needs to find that forward/wing that can gel with the rest of the starting lineup. That wing may be Kuminga or DeRozan, or even another name we haven’t thought of yet.