Clippers' Starting Center for Next Season May Be Playing in Round 2 of the Playoffs

The Los Angeles Clippers enter the 2026 offseason with no bigger need than finding a quality option at center. Following the Ivica Zubac trade, the need for a real paint presence was evident. Down the stretch of the 2025-26 season, the Clippers struggled to close out possessions with defensive rebounds and gave up plenty of easy baskets at the rim. The offense also struggled, as the team's guards no longer had a big body screen setter to help free them up off the dribble.

When looking around the league, there are plenty of strong options at the five hitting the market this summer in free agency. But if LA opts to use free agency to address other needs like shooting and forward play, the trade market may provide Lawrence Frank with a solution that free agency simply can't.

With the Cavaliers struggling to get past the Toronto Raptors in round one of the playoffs, questions are starting to be asked about what this summer could hold for Cleveland. Out of the Cavs' big four, Jarrett Allen is who I would put my money on as the odd man out, and if that prediction is true, the Clippers should do whatever they can to acquire him.

Jarrett Allen Is the Perfect Buy-Low Trade Target

Given that Cleveland has the league's highest payroll this season, if they don't achieve deep playoff success, it would be ridiculous to see them run back the same core of players next season. They could find themselves in a similar situation to the one the Boston Celtics faced last offseason, where they were forced to sell off quality players at a discount to avoid the tax.

With Evan Mobley being a top-tier rim protector and Defensive Player of the Year just five years into his career, the Cavs may finally feel it's time to let him make the move to full-time center. Moving Allen and his contract off for some more forward depth and draft capital would make a ton of sense and allow head coach Kenny Atkinson to try something new in 2026-27.

With three years left on his deal at an annual price point of around $30.2 million, matching Allen's salary wouldn't be a struggle for the Clippers. A package of Derrick Jones Jr. and multiple second-round picks would likely be enough to reach a deal.

Sure, that may sound like a lackluster return for Cleveland and leave fans upset. But if this group hits that second-round ceiling once again, priority number one this offseason is going to be getting under the tax. This deal allows them to get closer to doing that, while acquiring the type of switchable point-of-attack wing defender they've been searching for in DJJ.

For the Clippers, Allen is the dream center, a play finishing lob threat, rebounds hard, sets good screens, has nice touch, and protects the basket. On top of that, he also has some prebuilt chemistry with Darius Garland from their time in Cleveland. A trio of Kawhi Leonard, Garland, and Allen could make the Clippers extremely competitive next season.

Whether it's Allen or not, these are the types of situations the Clippers front office should be looking for this offseason. They need to find teams that are backed up against a wall financially or because of repeated failures to meet expectations and buy low on talented players that can impact winning.

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