Report: Donovan Mitchell Doesn’t Want Cavaliers To Trade Jarrett Allen

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Donovan Mitchell doesn’t want the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade Jarrett Allen. 

Mitchell, who is expected to sign an extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, is “often described as an Allen fan.”

“One reason I’ve heard for the Cavaliers’ reported reluctance to trade Jarrett Allen despite ongoing questions about Allen’s fit in the same frontcourt alongside the emerging Evan Mobley: Donovan Mitchell is often described as an Allen fan who doesn’t want to lose him as a teammate,” Stein wrote.

Allen, who has two years and $40 million left on his contract, averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks this season while shooting 63.4% from the field and 74.2% from the free-throw line.  

The Boston Celtics beat the Cavaliers in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in five games. Mitchell missed Games 4 and 5, while Allen missed the entire series. 

According to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cavaliers are telling teams that they don’t want to trade Allen or Darius Garland. The New Orleans Pelicans are interested in acquiring both players, but Cleveland plans to keep Allen and Garland. 

“Cleveland has continued to tell teams they’re not trying to move Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto reported. “Koby Altman talked about the plus/minus ratings with those guys. They still think Darius is an All-Star-caliber player. He’s young and under contract for the next four years. It would really take a lot for them to move him.”

Most people around the NBA believe the Cavaliers will hire James Borrego or Kenny Atkinson as their next head coach. Mitchell, who didn’t have a good relationship with JB Bickerstaff, can sign a four-year, $208 million extension this offseason. He is under contract for next season and has a $37 million player option for 2025-26.

One of the top scorers in the NBA, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season while shooting 46.2% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line.