The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to stay away from any major shake-ups this summer. But according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the organization will be more willing to listen to trade offers for two of its star players than in the past.
“I have been getting the sense that the Cavs would be more willing to entertain or at least consider possibilities for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland than they have in the past,” Fedor said on the Wine and Gold Talk Podcast. “I think the two untouchables are Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.”
This isn’t anything groundbreaking. I don’t think anyone has considered Cleveland’s core four to be entirely untouchable. Allen has always been the odd man out with Garland somewhere behind him on the list. Keeping Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley together, the two most important parts of the puzzle, only makes sense.
Every team should constantly be looking to improve. There are very few players in the league that would result in a GM immediately hanging up the phone if asked for an asking price. There’s never been a reason to assume Garland or Allen were in that group.
Finding the right trade is the issue. Cleveland’s already limited by the second apron — which means they can’t combine salaries in trades or take back any additional salary. This makes an already tight situation even tougher. It won’t be easy to find an upgrade on Allen or Garland, considering how important they are to the team’s success.
This is why all signals from Koby Altman have pointed towards running it back. Sure, the Cavs will entertain offers this summer and it’s possible we’ll all be surprised by a deal that makes sense for both sides. Until then, I wouldn’t brace for anything major.