Cavs Trade Scenario Adds Suns Veteran to Cleveland Backcourt

Chances are the Cleveland Cavaliers will make noise this offseason. Whether that noise involves LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo remains to be seen. But Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and team president Koby Altman aren’t the type to sit around quietly, especially after being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by New York.

Changes, they are coming.

There’s a case to be made for the Cavs to keep their core four (Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen) together. That foursome led the Cavaliers to a place in the postseason (Eastern Conference Finals) they haven’t seen since LeBron’s second tour of Cleveland.

Assuming those four return, LeBron stays in Los Angeles, and Giannis heads somewhere other than Cleveland, the Cavs could pivot from a potential blockbuster acquisition to something quieter that would improve their bench and toughness.

Both could be instantly improved by making a deal with the Phoenix Suns for guard Grayson Allen.

Cleveland would be able to acquire Allen, 30, and his $16.8 million salary in exchange for Dennis Schroder, who makes slightly more than $14 million. Both players have two years left on their deals, though Allen’s final season of his deal (’27–28) includes a player option.

In Allen, the Cavs would add an irritant to the roster, something they’re sorely lacking. Allen’s been a borderline “dirty” player since his Duke days. After being pushed around and often bullied by the Knicks this season and Indiana a year ago, Cleveland would be wise to add someone who pushes back.

That’s Allen.

And he wouldn’t be there just to muck things up. Allen can put the ball in the basket. He scored 16.5 points per game this season on 40% shooting from three. Allen added three rebounds and nearly four assists a night. In the postseason, Phoenix played Allen ten minutes less per game and his scoring dropped to 9.5 points per outing. But his shooting remained consistent — 46.2% from the field and just over 36% from deep.

Does any opponent want to deal with the combined shooting and feistiness of a bench mob led by Allen and Max Strus?

I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Cavs would likely need to send more than Schroder to Suns

The question becomes why Phoenix would make Allen expendable?

For starters, his minutes dropped significantly during the Suns’ first-round playoff series versus Oklahoma City (the Thunder won 4–0). Twenty-four-year-old Jalen Green, who scored nearly 18 points per game, is ahead of Allen on the depth chart. He’d seemingly be expendable for the right price.

Schroder is 32 years old and still plays at a high level. The veteran point guard put up 10.8 points, 4.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds on 40.5% shooting in his 12th NBA season. He’s been on 10 playoff teams during his pro career. That’s valuable experience that would be beneficial to a Suns team whose roster averages just over 25 years of age.

Though Schroder’s talent and positive reputation would be a welcome addition to any team, that alone likely isn’t enough to entice Phoenix into sending Allen out. Cleveland can sweeten the deal by adding this year’s first-round draft pick, 29th overall, to Schroder.

Phoenix, who is not considered a serious title contender as currently constructed, is without a first-round pick this summer. They could use the pick to add more young talent to the backend of their roster.

The Cavs are in win-now mode. The 29th overall pick this season is unlikely to make an impact in Cleveland anytime soon. Cleveland’s bench currently includes Sam Merrill, occasional starter Max Strus and a trio of talented players 25 or younger in Jaylon Tyson (23), Tyrese Proctor (22) and Nae’Qwan Tomlin (25).

Allen would make more sense for a title-contending roster than the 29th pick, and his acquisition could allow Cleveland to make more noise next postseason.

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