Hornets Named a Top Landing Spot for Jarrett Allen

The one area everyone expects the Charlotte Hornets to make a move this season is in the frontcourt. Whether that's trading Miles Bridges and rocking with an undersized center in Moussa Diabaté, or finding an upgrade at center and moving "Moose" to the bench.

Could that upgrade come by way of trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers? Zach Buckley named the Hornets as the best landing spot for Jarrett Allen in a recent article on Bleacher Report.

"Why not Allen? He could be a logical scapegoat if Cleveland underachieves this postseason, but he'd be an impact plug-and-play addition elsewhere. He excels in all of the areas where a rim-runner should and could be the perfect complement for Charlotte's perimeter stars, two of whom have time remaining on their rookie-scale contracts (Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel)."

Trading for Allen isn't as good as it once sounded

Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) stands on the court in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

In years past, Allen was a name that many linked to the Hornets, and I was among those who thought it would have been a good move.

Now? Not so much.

As much as value as Diabaté brings, it's hard to see him taking a backseat to anyone, especially for another player who doesn't shoot the ball more than five feet from the basket. Diabaté is about 30 pounds lighter than Allen, but doesn't move as well as Moussa or impact the game the way he does. Diabaté is one of the NBA's elite offensive rebounders, and replacing that for a guy who also doesn't stretch the floor, to me, just isn't worth it.

If the Hornets do bring in a new center, I feel like it would almost have to be someone who can step out and knock down shots from the perimeter. Charles Lee would love to have five guys who can shoot the deep ball and really open up the floor for LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller.

Not to mention, the Hornets have Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is already effective and could be a better overall player than Allen (minus the scoring) in a few years if they continue to bank on the current one-two punch at center. In six fewer minutes per game, Kalkbrenner averaged 2.4 offensive boards per game while Allen averaged 2.6. Kalkbrenner blocked 1.5 shots per game while Allen rejected 0.8.

Trading for Allen now just doesn't make sense. The Hornets need to either add a center who can shoot it or move on from Miles Bridges and find an upgrade at the four.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Charlotte Hornets

Add us as a preferred source on Google