Jarrett Allen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors May Pursue RFA Jarrett Allen

July 25th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, a restricted free agent this summer, could be a target for the Raptors, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says Toronto is expected to be one of Allen’s “strong” suitors. The Raptors are in clear need of an upgrade at the five spot.

Charania hears that the Cavaliers and Allen are both interested in a long-term agreement, so the Raptors may have to overpay if they hope to pry the 23-year-old Allen away from Cleveland. Charania notes that Toronto has tried to trade for Allen on prior occasions.

The Raptors could create upwards of $25MM in cap room this summer to make a run at Allen, but that would require the team to renounce Kyle Lowry and likely waive Chris Boucher.

After being dealt to Cleveland courtesy of the Nets early in the 2020/21 season as part of the trade that sent All-Star James Harden to Brooklyn, Allen thrived while with the underperforming Cavaliers. He averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG across 51 contests.

Having let veterans Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol depart for the two Los Angeles teams during the 2020 offseason, the Raptors pivoted by adding Aron Baynes and Alex Len to shore up the middle. Len was eventually waived. When Baynes proved overtaxed, the Raptors opted for small-ball lineups with Boucher frequently playing center.

Cavs Make Jarrett Allen Restricted Free Agent

July 23rd, 2021 at 4:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

To no one’s surprise, the Cavaliers have extended a qualifying offer to center Jarrett Allen, making him a restricted free agent, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The QO is worth just over $7.7MM with a cap hold of $11.73MM.

Cleveland acquired Allen in the multi-team James Harden blockbuster with the intention of locking him into a multi-year deal during the offseason. The addition of Allen led the Cavs to bench and eventually buy out Andre Drummond, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Allen will one of the more attractive names on the restricted free agent market, but a suitor will likely have to deliver a giant offer sheet to him to make the Cavs think twice about matching it.

The 23-year-old Allen averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG and 1.4 BPG in 51 games after the trade. Cleveland is expected to retain Allen even if uses the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft on the top big man prospect, USC’s Evan Mobley.

Free Agency Notes: Portis, Forbes, Cap Room, Dinwiddie

July 23rd, 2021 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks rotation players Bobby Portis ($3.8MM) and Bryn Forbes ($2.4MM) both have player options for the 2021/22 season, but are expected to turn down them in search of new contracts, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on his latest podcast with Yossi Gozlan. Since Milwaukee only has Non-Bird rights on both Portis and Forbes, it’ll be a challenge to bring them back, Gozlan notes.

Scotto and Gozlan discussed a handful of other free agency situations on the HoopsHype Podcast, examining the likelihood of P.J. Tucker returning to the Bucks, exploring whether Kyle Lowry is a realistic target for the Pelicans, and suggesting that the Hornets may be in the market for multiple centers – rather than just one – on the free agent market.

Here are a few more items related to the NBA’s upcoming free agent period:

In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a closer look at which teams will realistically have cap room this offseason, which will be limited to the mid-level exception, and which will only have the taxpayer mid-level available. As Marks observes, in order for teams like the Heat, Mavericks, Thunder, Bulls, and Pelicans to gain meaningful cap space, they’ll have to renounce important free agents and/or trade exceptions.
There’s a significant gap between John Collins and the rest of this year’s free agent power forwards, including Lauri Markkanen and Paul Millsap, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes in his breakdown of the position’s free agent class.
Hollinger also uses his model to evaluate 2021’s free agent centers, identifying Richaun Holmes, Jarrett Allen, Andre Drummond, Kelly Olynyk, and Daniel Theis as players whose projected value exceeds the mid-level.
A series of team beat writers for The Athletic considers whether their respective clubs are logical Spencer Dinwiddie suitors this summer. The Raptors, Celtics, and Pistons are among the long shots, while the Clippers, Knicks, and Mavericks are a few teams The Athletic’s writers think might make more sense.

Central Notes: Mobley, Rose, Bulls’ Draft, McDermott, McConnell, Carlisle

June 30th, 2021 at 6:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Drafting Evan Mobley with the No. 3 pick wouldn’t necessarily mean the Cavaliers would let restricted free agent Jarrett Allen walk, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The USC big man is widely considered one of the top four prospects in the draft, and sources tell Fedor the Cavs believe he could thrive at the four or the five, so he should be able to share the frontcourt with a center like Allen. Mobley could also slide over to the middle in some lineups, and his versatility would provide head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with more flexibility.

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bulls ought to consider re-signing unrestricted free agent Derrick Rose, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. Rose is coming off a strong season and if he’d be willing to accept some or all of their mid-level exception, it would energize the fan base.
The Bulls don’t have a first-round pick but they’re approaching the draft with the idea that they could seize an opportunity to move into the first round, Johnson adds. They were also a presence at the combine, searching for a diamond in the rough with the No. 38 overall pick.
Re-signing unrestricted free agents Doug McDermott and T.J. McConnell is a major focus for the Pacers this offseason, coach Rick Carlisle said on Tuesday, per Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com (Twitter link). “The priority is to get the new staff in here, work towards good health as much as we can, try to get McConnell and McDermott re-signed if we can do that,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle has yet to officially sign his contract but he plans to do so when he arrives in Indiana on July 5. He’s eager to work with the roster and find ways to make the current group better, according to Agness (Twitter links). “Whatever players are presented to me by management or ownership, I really take a great deal in pride and love the challenge of molding that group into the right kind of system,” he said.

Cavs Looking To Move Collin Sexton?

June 24th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have begun to explore trade options involving guard Collin Sexton, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated reports.

Sexton is one of the prominent players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. He’s likely to seek a maximum contract, Woo notes, but the Cavaliers have continued to flounder during his first three seasons. The Cavs have gone 19-63, 19-46 and 22-50 during that span.

Jarrett Allen is a restricted free agent and Cleveland is expected to pursue a multiyear deal with the young center it acquired from the Nets this season.

There’s belief around the league that the Cavs would prefer to trade Sexton in order to protect their future cap flexibility, according to Woo. Sexton averaged a team-high 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG this season.

The fact that the Cavs moved up in the lottery also plays into that notion. They hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and three of the top four prospects are guards — Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs. They could replace Sexton with a player on a rookie contract for the next few years and acquire other assets for him.

Olympic Notes: Spain, Simmons, Nigeria, Turkey, Garland

June 23rd, 2021 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Pau Gasol, who has represented Spain in four Olympic tournaments so far, remains on track to be part of the team in Tokyo, per an Associated Press report. Gasol was one of 18 players included on Spain’s preliminary roster for the Tokyo games, joining his brother – Lakers center Marc Gasol – and Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio.

Timberwolves forward Juan Hernangomez, Pelicans big man Willy Hernangomez, and projected first-round pick Usman Garuba are among the other notable names on Spain’s preliminary roster, according to The Associated Press.

Here’s more on the Tokyo Olympics:

Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons isn’t expected to play for Australia in the Olympics, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN. After a tough postseason, Simmons will spend the offseason focused on developing skills, including his jump shot.
No African team has ever earned an Olympic medal – or even advanced beyond the preliminary stage – in the men’s basketball tournament, so Nigeria head coach Mike Brown will be looking to make history in Tokyo, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. According to Colin Udoh of ESPN, Nuggets guard Monte Morris, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Pistons big man Jahlil Okafor, Jazz teammates Miye Oni and Udoka Azubuike, and Heat teammates Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala are among the new additions to Nigeria’s roster.
Turkey has announced its preliminary roster for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament in Canada, as Sportando relays. In addition to NBA players like Cedi Osman, Ersan Ilyasova, Furkan Korkmaz, and Omer Yurtseven, the squad includes projected first-round pick Alperen Sengun.
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will be part of the U.S. Select Team that scrimmages against Team USA’s Olympic squad ahead of the Tokyo games, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cavs center Jarrett Allen has also received an invite to join the Select Team, but hasn’t made a decision yet, Fedor adds.

Scotto’s Latest: Magic, Hartenstein, Allen, Ennis, Theis

June 10th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast alongside Yossi Gozlan, Michael Scotto identified Nets assistant Ime Udoka and former Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson as potential candidates to watch for the Magic‘s open head coaching position.

Clippers assistant Dan Craig and Bucks assistant Darvin Ham are among the other names Scotto has heard linked to the job in Orlando. If the Bucks lose their second-round series to Brooklyn, it could be the end of the road in Milwaukee not just for Mike Budenholzer, but for several members of his staff, including Ham, Scotto notes.

Here’s more from the podcast:

Scotto says Cavaliers big man Isaiah Hartenstein plans to turn down his player option, after hinting as much last month. Hartenstein will be eligible for restricted free agency and is a good bet to remain in Cleveland, either on a multiyear contract or on his qualifying offer, according to Scotto.
Some executives around the NBA believe the Hornets and/or Mavericks could pursue Jarrett Allen, but Scotto expects the RFA center to ultimately remain with the Cavaliers, who gave up a first-round pick for him earlier this year.
James Ennis, who has played for seven teams since entering the NBA in 2014, will be seeking some stability as a free agent this offseason, per Scotto, who says Ennis is hoping for a deal that covers three years, or at least two. After knocking down 43.3% of his three-pointers in 2020/21, the veteran forward will be looking for a salary worth at least the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Scotto adds.
Scotto has heard from people around the league that free agent center Daniel Theis could command a deal worth at least the mid-level exception. Theis would like to join a winning team, but also wants the opportunity to play regularly.

Community Shootaround: Top Restricted Free Agents

May 29th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

This year’s free agent class could have been filled with superstars. The pool of impact players has been drained, as many of them signed extensions.

There are still some intriguing names that will hit the market this summer and many of them will be restricted free agents. Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Hamidou Diallo, Gary Trent Jr., Josh Hart and Lauri Markkanen are some of the players who could receive offer sheets.

Three other names stand out on the list of RFAs – John Collins, Lonzo Ball and Jarrett Allen.

It’s rare that a highly productive young big like Collins would reach restricted free agency at this point in his career. Collins, 23, averaged 17.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG on a playoff team and he’s a career 38% shooter from deep.

Yet the Hawks seem lukewarm, at best, on Collins as a long-term partner for franchise player Trae Young. He reportedly turned down a $90MM extension offer, believing he could get a max deal, or something very close to it, in free agency.

Atlanta need only to extend a $7.7MM qualifying offer in order to make him a restricted free agent, giving the team the option of matching an offer sheet.

Collins has the opportunity to enhance his resume with a strong playoff showing. He contributed a ho-hum 12 points and seven rebounds to Atlanta’s Game 1 win on Sunday but counterpart Julius Randle shot just 6-for-23 from the field. Collins’ second postseason game was a disaster, as he went scoreless in 12, foul-filled minutes.

He contributed 14 points and six rebounds in Game 3 on Friday but, more importantly, helped to hold Randle to a 2-for-15 shooting night.

Ball’s qualifying offer is $14.36MM, so New Orleans has a tougher decision to make. Ball has long been rumored to be a primary target for the Bulls, who are seeking a natural point guard.

Ball’s name was bandied about in trade rumors this winter and it wouldn’t be a complete shock if the Pelicans choose to make him unrestricted. That would leave open the possibility of a sign-and-trade, rather than getting nothing if they decline to match an offer sheet.

However, it’s probably a safe assumption that Pelicans will extend the QO and see if Ball’s offers fall into their price range.

In contrast, the Cavaliers acquired Allen as part of the multi-team James Harden blockbuster with the intent of re-signing him. Allen, whose QO is $7.7MM, averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG and 1.4 BPG after joining Cleveland.

Allen didn’t exactly turn around the Cavaliers’ fortunes but they seem committed to retaining the 23-year-old center. So if another team covets Allen, it will have to make a substantial offer to force the Cavs to think twice about matching.

That leads us to our question of the day: Among John Collins, Lonzo Ball and Jarrett Allen, which restricted free agent will receive the biggest offer this summer?

Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Allen, Nance Back For Cavaliers Wednesday

April 13th, 2021 at 8:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Cavaliers big men Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. are expected to return to the floor for the club tomorrow against the Hornets, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.

After incurring a concussion in a March 26 bout vs the Lakers, starting center Allen has been working through the NBA’s concussion protocols. A “mystery illness” befell forward Nance, who lost nearly 20 pounds during his absence, which began after his March 27 appearance vs. the Kings.

“We’re gonna have to make some tough decisions,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of balancing his healthy frontcourt. Dean Wade and Kevin Love have been the starters with Allen and Nance out, and Isaiah Hartenstein has been played alongside the other two in ultra-big lineups.

“We’ve got to make some decisions that are best for the short term, and then some decisions that are best for the long term,” Bickerstaff continued. “Obviously we’ve got to find ways to get Larry and Jarrett back on the floor.”

Cavaliers Notes: Allen, Nance, Dellavedova, Prince

April 10th, 2021 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers big men Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr. have resumed basketball-related activities on a limited basis and may be ready to play next week, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Both players were able to work out during a practice session Friday.

Allen has been sidelined since suffering a concussion in a March 26 game. He missed his seventh consecutive game tonight and isn’t expected to play Sunday. Sources tell Fedor he may return Wednesday at Charlotte if he continues to progress through the league’s concussion protocol.

Nance has missed the past four games while fighting the effects of an unknown illness that resulted in a loss of about 20 pounds and forced him to be bedridden. A source told Fedor that Nance is “close to feeling like himself once again.” The team is also looking at a Wednesday return for Nance if his recovery continues. The Cavs will practice Tuesday before making a final decision on either player.

There’s more from Cleveland:

Matthew Dellavedova‘s return has given Cleveland the backup point guard it has been lacking all season, Fedor writes in a separate story. Dellavedova, who missed 47 games due to a concussion, whiplash, and an emergency appendectomy, is averaging a modest 2.3 points and 5.5 assists through four games, but his plus-minus rating is at plus-29 in 70 minutes. “Delly really does a great job of playing with his brain,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He understands how to set the table for other people. His game isn’t based on himself. When your game is based on the team and making your teammates’ job easier, it makes … your comeback a little bit easier.” The Cavs signed Yogi Ferrell and Quinn Cook to 10-day contracts to try to fill Dellavedova’s role, but neither was kept on the roster.
Forward Taurean Prince will likely need ankle surgery once the season is done, Fedor tweets. Acquired in a January trade, Prince has one more year on his contract at $13MM.
Cavaliers players, coaches and staff members received COVID-19 shots March 30, Fedor adds in another piece. Because it was the Johnson & Johnson version, they won’t have to schedule a second dose, except for Bickerstaff, who got a Moderna shot before the others became available.