Proposed Trade Sends Andrew Wiggins To Cavaliers, Jarrett Allen To Warriors

One NBA writer proposed that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers make a trade this offseason. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed that the Warriors trade Andrew Wiggins to the Cavaliers for Jarrett Allen. 

“Maybe a change of scenery would help get him back on track,” Buckley wrote. “He doesn’t have much (if any) trade value on his own, but package him with promising prospect Trayce Jackson-Davis and a few future first-round picks, and Golden State might be onto something. Maybe that’s even the package that gets the Cleveland Cavaliers to cough up Jarrett Allen, who’s never been an easy fit with Evan Mobley.

“Get Allen to Golden State, though, and he could be the anchor who gets the defense back on track and the automatic lob finisher who ups the potency of this attack. To flesh out the deal, the Warriors could also add Georges Niang, whose three-point shooting and quick processing skills should make him a snug schematic fit.”

Wiggins averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists this season for the Warriors while shooting 45.3% from the field, 35.8% from beyond the arc and 75.1% from the free-throw line. The NBA champion will make $26.3 million next season. 

Meanwhile, Allen averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Cavaliers while shooting 63.4% from the field and 74.2% from the free-throw line. The one-time All-Star will make $20 million next season in the final year of his contract. 

The Warriors lost to the Sacramento Kings in the 9-10 play-in tournament game, while the Cavaliers are up 2-0 on the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. 

“Perhaps that’s all wishful thinking for the Warriors, but there has to be a scenario in which Mitchell expresses a desire to stick around if the Cavs can fix their frontcourt spacing issues and improve on the wing,” Buckley wrote. “The subtraction of Allen, a bounce-back from Wiggins and a few first-rounders to go searching for more might do that.”

The Warriors are expected to try to trade Wiggins this summer.

The Cavaliers drafted Wiggins with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft but traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.