NBA Mock Trade: Bulls Land Franchise Center Jarrett Allen, Cavs Acquire Matas Buzelis

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers trade center Jarrett Allen to a division rival?

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls still have center Nikola Vučević on their roster this offseason. Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson reported at the end of July that Vučević will begin the 2025-26 season on the Bulls roster.

But trade rumors have been swirling around the Chicago center this offseason. Even if he begins the season with the Bulls, that doesn't mean the team won't acquire his eventual replacement.

One potential replacement is in Chicago's division with the Cleveland Cavaliers -- Jarrett Allen.

If Cleveland doesn't have a problem dealing Allen inside the same division, the Bulls could acquire their future center from the Cavaliers.

Let's explore what an Allen trade to Chicago could look like.

Cleveland Cavaliers-Chicago Bulls Mock Trade

Cleveland Cavaliers receive small forward Ayo Dosunmu and power forward Matas Buzelis.

Chicago Bulls receive center Jarrett Allen.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes proposed a trade in May that saw the Cavaliers send Allen to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-player deal. After another early playoff exit this past spring, Hughes argued Cleveland may favor shaking up its roster.

"Another postseason disappointment, this one coming in the wake of a 64-win regular season, could spur the Cavaliers to reorient the roster around Evan Mobley as the full-time center," Hughes wrote. "That’d mean moving on from Allen, replacing him with a capable frontcourt shooter and scorer in Johnson."

If the Cavaliers are indeed interested in turning to Mobley for full-time center minutes, then a trade for Dosunmu and Buzelis makes sense. Both forwards would help Cleveland replace Allen in the front court, but they wouldn't block Mobley from being the team's new starter at center.

In Allen, the Bulls would receive a 27-year-old who is annually competing to average a double-double. In 2024-25, Allen posted 13.5 points with 9.7 rebounds. He led the NBA with a 70.6% shooting percentage while playing 82 games as well.

Two seasons ago, Allen posted a career-high 16.5 points with 10.5 rebounds per game.

Fantasy managers probably wouldn't be able to count on that kind of production with Allen in Chicago as long as Vučević is still on the team. But acquiring Allen would forecast a Vučević trade, and once Vučević is dealt, Allen would largely have the same upside in Chicago that he has in Cleveland.

With Dosunmu, the Cavaliers would receive a member of the 2021-22 All-Rookie team. Dosunmu averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 46 contests last season.

Buzelis averaged 8.6 points while shooting 45.4%, including 36.1% from the 3-point line, as a rookie in 2024-25.