Simmons: Cavaliers could trade Jarrett Allen to Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their 3rd game in a row yesterday to fall to 15 and 14 on the season and have not bounced back at all since they were upset 4 games to 1 in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. With Cleveland facing an enormous tax bill due to the 2nd Apron, Bill Simmons floated the idea of trading their 27 year old center Jarrett Allen to the Boston Celtics who own a $22.5 million TPE. This would allow the Cavs to get out of the 2nd Apron.

The rub though for the Celtics is that in addition to having to trade draft assets to acquire Allen, Boston would be right back in the 2nd Apron themselves if they acquired Allen. Brad Stevens would then have to presumably find a taker for Anfernee Simons' hefty expiring contract with minimal salary coming back.

Stevens was unwilling to attach a first round pick to dump Simons' contract on the Nets this offseason and hopefully continues to hold the line on that. About the only scenario where a Jarrett Allen to the Celtics at the trade deadline makes sense is if Jayson Tatum is 100% coming back this season and the Cavs more or less just give Allen away to get out of the 2nd Apron.

But if the Cavs were just salary dumping Allen, one would thing whatever team was willing to take on Simons' contract would just trade for Jarrett instead. Maybe there is a scenario where a team would rather not acquire the remaining years on Allen's deal to retain cap space or financial flexibility this offseason, so thus Simons' expiring contract works better.

Consider an Allen trade to the Celtics both very complicated and unlikely. And again it would be contingent on the Celtics adding Allen to this season's roster to compete for a championship on a team that has Jayson Tatum on the floor as well.


disqus Post a Comment
Share