With the Los Angeles Lakers diving into the 2026 offseason, one major topic of conversation is the starting center spot. After watching a full season of Deandre Ayton play like a ride at Six Flags (up and down), fans are begging for Rob Pelinka to find Luka Doncic a true partner in crime up front.
One name tied to LA is Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. That would be a horrible next move for the Lakers.
After being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers enter the summer with a hefty tax bill, and something's got to shake. With Kenny Atkinson locked in as head coach, all signs point to the returns of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, and Evan Mobley remaining a franchise centerpiece; the odd man out is Allen.
The Cavs center struggled to eat alongside a playmaker like James Harden. The idea of pairing Allen with Luka looks better on paper than it would be in reality. You could stick a seven-foot-tall 25-year-old rec league player with Harden, and they would be more effective than Allen was this postseason.
The Lakers need a bully at the five spot, someone who's going to body up smaller matchups, create easy offense with Luka, and be a monster rim protector who can be the last line of defense. Allen showed all postseason that he doesn't have that edge, and unless he's in a matchup where he has a major advantage, he's going to get outworked and outdawged.
Jarrett Allen would just be a more expensive Deandre Ayton
The meme stemming from Allen's first playoff appearance with the Cavs, where he said the lights were too bright, continues to follow him, and rightfully so. The only matchup Allen consistently won was in round one against the Toronto Raptors, where he picked on a hobbled old Jakob Poeltl.
Sure, he had his moments in the second round against the Detroit Pistons, but that was mostly him picking on Jalen Duren, who forgot how to play basketball during this postseason. In that same series, he routinely got outwilled by Detroit's third-string center, Paul Reed.
The Eastern Conference Finals is where Allen really got exposed, averaging below 12 points and seven rebounds per game. He was being dominated by Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
If Rob Pelinka were to trade any part of the Lakers' future to bring in Allen this summer, it would be the equivalent of giving Ayton the $90.7 million in guaranteed money he has through 2028-29. That's the level of inconsistency and lack of mental toughness Allen played with.
It has not just been this postseason either, but this is a trend over his career. He isn't some insane lob threat, and is only getting weaker as a defender, screener, and rebounder as Allen gets closer to turning 30.
How many other starting centers in the league would be paired with a seven-footer who won Defensive Player of the Year last season in the frontcourt and still be such a weak paint presence? Not anyone making $30.2 million annually, I'll tell you that much.
In any case, trading for Allen in any capacity would be a mistake. There is little difference in that move and re-signing Ayton this offseason, except that he is more expensive.
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