Could the Charlotte Hornets trade for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen this offseason?
The Charlotte Hornets have been named a trade landing spot for Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen.
In a story called "Landing Spots for NBA's Top 10 Trade Targets," Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed the Hornets as a sensible landing spot for Allen should the Cavaliers fail in the 2026 playoffs and break up their core this offseason.
"The Hornets forming a solid center combo with Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner landed somewhere on the list of reasons they obliterated expectations this season," Buckley wrote. "It was just nowhere near the top, which might propel Charlotte to pursue something beyond solid play at the 5 spot.
"Why not Allen? He could be a logical scapegoat if Cleveland underachieves this postseason, but he'd be an impact plug-and-play addition elsewhere. He excels in all of the areas where a rim-runner should and could be the perfect complement for Charlotte's perimeter stars, two of whom have time remaining on their rookie-scale contracts (Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel).
"This might be the time to splurge, and Allen could be the right candidate, especially since his contract will expire right when Knueppel's rookie deal does. Allen could be a needle-moving interior anchor, a reliable pick-and-roll partner for LaMelo Ball and a been-there-and-done-that veteran leader for a locker room that's still figuring out what's needed to win in this league."
Allen will make $28 million next season. He doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he can't stop the Cavaliers from trading him. The Texas product projects to be a good fit in Charlotte since he's an elite rim-runner and lob threat and LaMelo Ball is one of the best passers in the NBA.
For the Cavaliers this season, Allen averaged 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 63.8% from the field and 70.9% from the free-throw line. He recorded 20 double-doubles.
The Hornets missed the playoffs by one game this season. They have a bright future with Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel leading the way, but they need a veteran in their starting lineup who has been to the playoffs and knows what it takes to win and Allen fits that bill.
A one-time All-Star, Allen has played for the Brooklyn Nets and Cavaliers. He holds career averages of 13.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
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