If one were to ask Cleveland Cavaliers fans for the genesis of the franchise’s turnaround after LeBron James’ second departure, a number of them would likely point to the team’s trade for Donovan Mitchell, decision to draft Evan Mobley or perhaps the ascension of Darius Garland.
But some would also point to the team’s trade for Jarrett Allen, and according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, there are folks within the Cavaliers organization who hold that belief. Cleveland traded for Allen during the 2020-21 campaign in a three-team deal that involved the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.
“There are people inside the organization…that believe the turnaround of this franchise actually started with Jarrett,” he said. “Not when they drafted Evan Mobley, not when they traded for Donovan Mitchell, not when Darius Garland finally became an All-Star — it’s when they traded for Jarrett, and they had a clear identity on both ends of the floor. And he was integral to that identity.
“That’s when the transformation of this franchise really started. And people still believe that to this day.”
Cleveland was able to trade for its longtime starting center without giving up too much in the three-team deal. The biggest asset the Cavs gave up was a late first-round pick as they acquired an Allen-headlined package.
Maybe those who believe that Allen started the Cavaliers’ turnaround are onto something. After all, he came to Cleveland prior to Garland becoming an All-Star and before Mobley was drafted in 2021 and Mitchell was acquired in 2022. The Cavs started to enjoy winning seasons soon after trading for the California native.
There’s also no doubt that he’s been one of Cleveland’s top two-way player this decade. Across 357 career regular-season games as a Cavalier, Allen is averaging 14.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per contest.
He is on the heels of one of his top performances of the 2025-26 season thus far as well. In a much-needed victory over the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week, he totaled 27 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of steals and was maybe the best player on the floor for Cleveland.
He’s going to need to continue to provide the Cavaliers with his steady hand as both a rebounder and interior scorer in order for them to turn their season around. They don’t look all that much like the squad that won more than 60 games last season, but they’re trying to change that.