Report: Hawks Have Made Jarrett Allen Interest Known to Cavaliers

The Atlanta Hawks have made their interest in Jarrett Allen known to the Cleveland Cavaliers and have done so for some time, Jake Fischer reported Monday for The Stein Line. Cleveland has not entertained moving its starting center, Fischer reported.

Allen is entering the first season of the three-year, $90.72 million extension he signed Aug. 2, 2024. The deal pays him $28 million in 2026-27, $30.24 million in 2027-28, and $32.48 million in 2028-29. He turned 28 in April.

Through 56 games last season, Allen averaged 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 27.1 minutes while shooting 63.8% from the field. A right finger injury cost him time in November and December. Right knee tendinitis kept him out of 10 consecutive games in March.

In the playoffs, Allen averaged 12.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists with 1.7 blocks in 29.4 minutes. Cleveland beat Detroit in seven games in the second round and lost to New York in the Eastern Conference finals.

Brooklyn drafted Allen with the No. 22 pick in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in January 2021 as part of the four-team deal that sent James Harden to the Nets. Allen has averaged 13.1 points and 9.2 rebounds in 624 regular-season games. He was an All-Star in 2022.

Late in June, Marc Stein reported the Hawks were "in active trade pursuit of a big man," with New Orleans' Yves Missi, Orlando's Goga Bitadze, and Dallas' Daniel Gafford among the centers Atlanta had pursued previously. Coming out of the draft, the Hawks had designs on testing Oklahoma City's resolve on Isaiah Hartenstein, Stein reported.

Onyeka Okongwu started 63 of his 74 appearances last season and averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 31.0 minutes. Atlanta drafted Zuby Ejiofor with the No. 23 pick in June and exercised its team option on Mouhamed Gueye. Jock Landale remains an unrestricted free agent.

The Cavaliers are hard-capped at the first apron and have been determined to stay out of the second apron for a second consecutive season. Cleveland signed Mario Hezonja this offseason. The Cavaliers have been resistant to attaching draft capital to a trade that would move Max Strus or Dennis Schröder, Fischer reported.

Cleveland has maintained interest in Jonathan Kuminga and would need a sign-and-trade with Atlanta to add him. The Cavaliers have found it difficult to put together a construction the Hawks would accept, Fischer reported. Atlanta declined its $24.3 million team option on Kuminga in June. The Hawks acquired Kuminga and Buddy Hield from Golden State in February for Kristaps Porziņģis, and Kuminga averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16 games for Atlanta.

Since the draft, Atlanta has acquired Lu Dort from Oklahoma City in a three-team trade that also sent Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas. The Hawks sit about $4.1 million below the luxury-tax line.

Atlanta went 46-36 last season, won the Southeast Division, and lost to New York in six games in the first round. Hawks coach Quin Snyder signed a multiyear extension June 8. Atlanta promoted Onsi Saleh from general manager to president of basketball operations after the playoffs.