The Cleveland Cavaliers front office has built itself a nice, playoff-caliber core, with the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell during the 2022 offseason proving to be the move that helped take the Cavs to the next level. But it's evident that the Cavs may be in need of more if they were to take the next step into becoming genuine title contenders, if their dispiriting end to the 2023 playoffs and their uneven start to the 2023-24 season are any indications.

Through 15 games (five of which Mitchell and Darius Garland have each missed), the Cavs have posted a middling 8-7 record with a lackluster -1.9 net rating. Those are indicators that the Cavs are yet to recapture their form last year, although as was mentioned, they have been without either Spida or Garland in a few of those contests. They were also without Jarrett Allen to begin the year, and the Cavs bench has been decimated by injuries as well, with Isaac Okoro, arguably the team's best perimeter defender, remaining out due to knee troubles.

But if the Cavs' issues persist even if they get players back from injury, they may have to make a move to maximize the team's core, especially when there have been plenty of rumblings regarding Donovan Mitchell's future in Cleveland (or a lack thereof).

Should the Cavs trade away Jarrett Allen?

Cavs: Jarrett Allen's availability uncertain for season opener vs. Nets

One of the pressing questions facing the Cavs front office is whether or not it'd be in the team's best interest to break up its twin-tower setup of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. In today's NBA, skilled size reigns supreme, and the Cavs have two of the most defensively versatile big men — a must for teams with championship aspirations. Moreover, Allen and Mobley, time and time again, have showed that they have enough passing chops to at least make the most out of the limited space they have in the paint.

But today's NBA also prioritizes outside shooting. Despite signing Max Strus in free agency this past offseason, the Cavs still rank 23rd in the league in three-point makes per game. This, alone, is not a deal-breaker; teams can still flourish despite some subpar shooting volume from deep for as long as they compensate for it in other areas.

At the moment, there are four other teams with winning records that have posted a lower three-point volume than the Cavs thus far (the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers). The Sixers make up for their lack of outside marksmanship with an impressive ability to get to the foul line (thanks to Joel Embiid). Both the Timberwolves and Magic suffocate their opponents defensively. The Lakers have LeBron James' and Anthony Davis' rim pressure to manufacture easy buckets on the interior.

The Cavs' best players, meanwhile, are perimeter gunners who will need plenty of space to operate so they can maximize their talents. Opposing defenses can load up on the perimeter more often since rotations are much easier if there are fewer shooting threats on the court. The Cavs counter this by relying on Evan Mobley's incredible feel for the game especially when he catches the ball on the short roll/high-post area, but smart defenses can simply switch pick-and-roll actions involving him and either Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland to try and load up, force rotation, and expect a clank from a less-than-stellar three-point threat.

The Timberwolves have finally learned how to make a twin-tower pairing work because Karl-Anthony Towns now feels more at home as the team's starting power forward. He can simply bully most power forwards by plowing his way through the rim or backing them down with ferocity on the block while torching slower defenders by simply shooting over them. Evan Mobley's skillset is not close to Towns', making it more of a chore for the Cavs to create good shots whenever he shares the floor with Jarrett Allen.

The Cavs may be waiting for a shooting leap from Mobley that may never come; if he never ends up being a 30 percent shooter from deep, then they may have to put him at center, especially when he has proven that he has the chops to anchor a defense at an elite level. Funnily enough, this is a team that could flourish if they had Lauri Markkanen as Mobley's frontcourt partner, but the Cavs had to give him up in their trade for Mitchell.

Make no mistake about it, as presently constructed, the Cavs remain one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, health permitting. They don't have to make any rash moves. But if Jarrett Allen's presence continues to put a ceiling on their offense, they may have to see what the 25-year old big man can net on the trade market.