Trade Proposal Sends Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Cavaliers

One NBA analyst proposed that the Cleveland Cavaliers acquire Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade:

Spurs Receive: Brandon Ingram and Dean Wade

Pelicans Receive: Jarrett Allen (cannot be traded till January 27, 2025), Caris LeVert, Julian Champagnie and a top-five-protected 2029 first-round pick (from San Antonio)

Cavaliers Receive: Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and a top-five-protected 2029 first-round pick (from New Orleans)

The Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in five games.

Kenny Atkinson replaced JB Bickerstaff, now the Detroit Pistons’ head coach. 

Allen can’t be traded until January 27, 2025, since he signed an extension this offseason. 

“The idea of some kind of deal involving Ingram and Allen has been floating around for much of the summer, and it’s not hard to see why,” Bailey wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “Evan Mobley‘s NBA destiny appears to be at the 5, which is where Allen starts. Playing them together has given Cleveland a stout defense over the last couple of years, but it’s too cramped on the other end, especially in the playoffs.

“Simply taking on Ingram would help with that issue to a degree. But his salary nearly doubles Allen’s, which makes a straight-up swap impossible. And adding his sometimes ball-dominant game to a team with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell might give the attack too much of a ‘my turn, your turn’ feel. Re-routing Ingram to San Antonio and taking on the younger Johnson, who’s a bit more likely to catch-and-shoot or attack closeouts than hold the ball like Ingram, makes some sense on its own.

“But this deal also gives the Cavs a solid, floor-spacing backup 5 in Zach Collins and a depth piece in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Losing Caris LeVert and Dean Wade might require some younger players like Sam Merrill or Craig Porter Jr. to take a step forward, but that’s not some outlandish stretch.”

For the Spurs last season, Johnson averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks. He’ll make $19 million next season. 

Collins averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks last season. He’ll make $16.7 million next season. 

For the Pelicans last season, Robinson-Earl averaged 2.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocks. He’ll make $2.2 million next season.