The Cleveland Cavaliers should have been a team the Los Angeles Lakers front office was monitoring closely. They suited up for the NBA Playoffs as the only team over the second apron, and in desperate need of having that price tag validated with a deep postseason run. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they have gotten just that through two rounds of playoff basketball.
Mind you, they flirted with disaster during both of their series thus far. However, the Cavaliers never fully took the plunge in either, and have gotten themselves to the Eastern Conference Finals instead.
It was a nail-biting seven-game series win over the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the Cavaliers. That was followed up by Cleveland upsetting the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the second round to move on.
Just like that, the sizable price tag on this current version of the Cavaliers looked worth its pretty penny. The idea of the Lakers, who project to have cap space, stealing one of the pricier deals on the Cavs roster, is quickly fading. Cleveland has very little incentive to sell at this point.
Cavaliers have no reason to sell contracts for cheap — to the Lakers' dismay
Jarrett Allen has long been viewed as the odd man out for the Cavaliers amid their flirtations with just how far they can push the cap limitations of this new CBA era. Whether it was with the old core four, or the new revamped version of the Cavs, Allen appeared to be most expendable.
The Cavaliers center has delivered some low points throughout this playoff run. However, Allen has also brought two stellar Game 7 performances for Cleveleand in this postseason too.
In the do-or-die meeting between the Raptors and Cavaliers, Allen finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals in the decisive 114-102 win over Toronto.
Against the Pistons in the second round, it was 23 points, seven rebounds, one block, and one steal for the Cavs center during the one-sided 125-94 blowout. Both times, Allen was impressive.
The big difference adding to why the former All-Star now grows in importance for Cleveland would be his pairing with James Harden. Harden has long played well with bigs who can get in that pick-and-roll action with him, and dive to the rim. Allen executes that role well.
The same reason Allen pairs well with Harden is why one would imagine Luka Doncic would have enjoyed his company. At 28 years old, JA could have been the two-way big man that gave Doncic a concrete frontcourt partner in Los Angeles, especially if the Cavaliers were looking to shed salary.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Cavs should be growing increasingly comfortable with believing they are on the doorstep of a breakthrough with their expensive core. That should keep guys in town. It will only become more difficult to envision Cleveland messing with the formula too much if the New York Knicks are the next team to fall victim to them in the Eastern Conference bracket.
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