The Cleveland Cavaliers have their frontcourt for the 2022 NBA season and beyond. Jarrett Allen, who was the source of considerable intrigue once Evan Mobley was picked No. 3 by the Cavs in the 2021 NBA draft on Thursday, signed with the team on Monday at the start of NBA free agency. He will stay in Cleveland on a five-year, $100 million deal.
The reality that Allen and Mobley are both frontcourt players cast some doubt over whether the two would play together in Cleveland. When the Cavs took Mobley on Thursday night, it was a natural point of uncertainty. It made complete sense to question if the organization wanted both big men on the roster.
Clearly, the Cavs were comfortable with this arrangement, and it very likely means they will have Allen playing a traditional five while Mobley becomes a stretch four who handles more perimeter or wing defensive assignments.
This is how the Cavs are trying to rearrange their roster.
The next big question for the Cavs, after securing Jarrett Allen for five years, is the status of their young and promising backcourt, with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.
The Cavs are a very young team and — having just made a commitment to two big men — must ask themselves if they can maintain roster continuity with the specific intent of building their young core for the future, or if they need to pivot and bring in a significant veteran presence which might make the other pieces of the puzzle fit even better. It is not an easy decision for a franchise which had to start all over following LeBron James' departure three years ago in 2018, after a fourth straight NBA Finals appearance, marking the golden age of Cleveland basketball.
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