NBA Trade Rumors: 3 teams that should target Jarrett Allen

Jarrett Allen had a brilliant debut season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was traded to the team as part of the famous James Harden blockbuster trade. Allen averaged career-highs in several categories and established himself as a young center with incredible promise.

However, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the season 22-50 and are in the lottery spots. The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery guaranteed them the third overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft. The consensus third pick is expected to be Evan Mobley of USC. He has been called a young Chris Bosh and if the Cavaliers do indeed land him, they might consider getting rid of Jarrett Allen and getting assets in return.

Report: Insiders believe Cavs will trade Jarrett Allen if they land Evan Mobley in draft https://t.co/HVBxS1QbR1

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) June 24, 2021

NBA Trade Rumors: Who should trade for Jarrett Allen in the 2021 NBA offseason?

Allen averaged a career-high 13.2 points per game on a 60/31/69 shooting split. He shot a remarkable 60.9% from the floor as most of his attempts were in the low post. Moreover, he rarely attempts three-pointers but whenever he does, he knocks down 31% of them. He also grabbed nearly 10 rebounds this season and has been averaging double-digit boards for the past three years. Allen has also consistently blocked 1.4 shots per night in the past few seasons. Whichever team acquires Jarrett Allen will certainly get a young star in the making, so let's take a look at three teams that can do so.

#1 Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are expected to pursue Jarrett Allen in the upcoming offseason. They have a first-round draft pick of their own, the 11th overall pick, and are expected to target big men and forwards. The Charlotte backcourt is quite deep. They have young stars in Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, Devonte' Graham and Malik Monk who get significant minutes in the rotation along with a few backup guards as well. However, they significantly lack a good frontcourt. Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward have been great in the time they have played but their center Cody Zeller hasn't played at a high level.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Charlotte is also expected to pursue Cavs' restricted free agent, Jarrett Allen. #Hornets expected to pursue trade for Myles Turner (via @GSpillmanNC) #AllFly https://t.co/a1W3u4JTqu

— Swarm and Sting (@SwarmnSting) June 14, 2021

Zeller averaged 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game along with 0.4 blocks per game. Jarrett Allen's averages of 13.2 points, 10 rebounds and 1.4 blocks are significantly higher and he also shoots 60% from the field on higher attempts. The Hornets' defense is lacking and Allen fixes that to a certain extent. If the Charlotte Hornets acquire Jarrett Allen, it would certainly make a formidable young team quite capable of entering the NBA playoffs.

#2 New York Knicks

New York Knicks v Atlanta Hawks - Game Four

The New York Knicks lack a rim protector and Jarrett Allen could fill that role. The opposition scores in the paint with will and although the Knicks have superior defense, they need a bonafide big man. Nerlens Noel is not yet capable of being a starting center for a playoff squad and Taj Gibson and Mitchell Robinson are great for coming off the bench. Following NBA trade rumors, the New York Knicks have reportedly been targeting Andre Drummond to fill a central role, but Jarrett Allen could be the key to their success.

Allen is just 23 years old with a high ceiling and tremendous upside. He enters restricted free agency this offseason and the Cavaliers could possibly sign-and-trade for him. The New York Knicks are also one of the few teams with positive cap space so Jarrett Allen could receive a sizable deal if he ends up in the Big Apple.

#3 Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

According to NBA trade rumors, the Dallas Mavericks have been in the market for a defensive-minded big man. Their star franchise player Luka Doncic is 22 years old, so adding a young promising center like Jarrett Allen could be beneficial for the team. Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein and Boban Marjanovic fulfilled certain duties off the bench but lacked rim protection prowess. The team is reportedly looking to trade Kristaps Porzingis and even if they don't, he always plays power forward instead of center.

Report: Some NBA executives believe Jarrett Allen could be pursued by Hornets and Mavericks https://t.co/2A5tIMFWCH

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) June 11, 2021

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported saying,

"Some executives around the league believe the Charlotte Hornets could make a play for [Jarrett Allen]...Some have floated out Dallas."

Jarrett Allen could be the rim protector in the starting lineup with Dwight Powell coming off the bench. Allen could also benefit from Doncic's playmaking prowess and his numbers might go up on the offensive end.