Ideal Clippers Trade Target May No Longer Be Available After Cavs' Playoff Success

The Los Angeles Clippers may have to look elsewhere in the trade market.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While the Los Angeles Clippers are in offseason mode, the NBA Playoffs are in full swing. The Conference Finals matchups are set in both conferences, and the Clippers are getting a good idea of what they need to contend.

The playoffs are also clarifying what the trade market will look like this summer. In fact, following Game 7 of the Detroit Pistons-Cleveland Cavaliers series, an ideal trade candidate for the Clippers may have taken himself off the trade block.

Jarrett Allen May Not Be a Clippers' Option This Offseason

The Clippers' need for a starting center is well-documented. Given that the free agent market for big men is bleak and there are no center prospects mocked around the No. 5 pick, the Clippers likely have to find this player on the trade market. Jarrett Allen of the Cavs seemed like a prime target.

Cleveland went all-in on this roster, especially when they traded Darius Garland for James Harden. They currently have the largest payroll in the NBA and are the only team above the second apron. How expensive a team they are limits their ability to keep this team together for very long, especially without playoff success.

The consensus was that if the Cavs were to come up short in the playoffs, they would split up their core four of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Allen, making $28 million next season and being more expendable than the other three, was considered the obvious headliner on the trade block. The Clippers, with the necessary cap space, draft capital, and assets, would emerge as a natural landing spot.

Now that the Cavs are finally in the Eastern Conference Finals, however, the Clippers may no longer get the chance to poach Allen. The 28-year-old center was excellent in Game 7, putting up 23 points on 8/14 shooting from the field and adding seven rebounds and a block in 25 minutes. He also outplayed All-Star center Jalen Duren throughout the series, providing impact on both ends of the floor.

Unless they are completely embarrassed by the Knicks in the next series, the Cavs are more likely to keep this team together for another season. They will still try to get cheaper and make moves on the margins, but sweeping changes may have to wait.

The Clippers will have to shift their focus to other potential trade targets. Nic Claxton of Brooklyn, Myles Turner of Milwaukee, Wendell Carter Jr. of Orlando, and Isaiah Hartenstein of Oklahoma City are other starting-caliber centers who may be available on the market.

The modern game is becoming more about size, intensity, and physicality. The Clippers have to prioritize these aspects of the game if they want to compete in the loaded Western Conference. Spending significant resources on a quality center is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, an excellent option may no longer hit the market this summer.