The 2025-26 season has not gone according to plan for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team has gone 13-9, which by comparison to last year, is a big step in the wrong direction. A three-game skid was snapped by a win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, but it didn’t answer many questions.
This is a team that went 64-18 and finished at the top of the Eastern Conference a season ago. Early skids and various injuries have plagued things this season. And it’s with that in mind, that this article was born.
Jarrett Allen hasn’t looked as sharp. As he currently heals from a finger injury, more trade rumors have been starting up about the big man.
Here is a proposal that sends Allen to those very Pacers, in what could be a win-win for both teams.
Cavs, Pacers Swap Big Men in Proposed Trade
Obi Toppin got off to a roaring start for the Indiana Pacers this year. Unfortunately, an early-season injury knocked him out for at least two months. A hamstring injury to an explosive player is one that is certainly not a fun one to heal from.
But, this is a player that brings a lot to the table. Toppin knocked in big threes and threw down high-flying dunks all postseason long last year.
Toppin would go to the Cavaliers in this hypothetical deal. The Pacers starting centers have not proven reliable yet this year. Jay Huff, outside of his shot-blocking and three-point shooting, has been a bit up-and-down.
Jarrett Allen would swap Central division teams in this deal. He provides value as a rim-runner and rim protector. Though he has had some struggles on the glass, a change of scenery could be just the boost he has needed.
The athletic finishes are always crowd-pleasers and momentum providers.
The Cavs best version seems to feature Evan Mobley at the center spot. Bringing in another athletic big in Toppin would enable them to still have two lob threats, while better spacing the floor.
The emergence of Nae’Qwan Tomlin would also give them a solid option at the backup center spot.
This could absolutely be a win-win for the two sides.
The Complete Jarrett Allen-Obi Toppin Swap
Let’s get into what the framework for a formal trade between the Cavaliers and Pacers might look like. There would be a bit more involved than just these two guys.
The trad of course, due to apron rules, has to keep Cleveland from bringing in even a penny more than Jarrett Allen’s $20 million salary. Obi Toppin is making $14 million this year, so that part of the deal clears. Draft picks would still likely be needed from Indy for the Cavs to agree to this trade, and perhaps one other player.
The final deal looks like Cleveland adding Obi Toppin, a 2026 2nd-round pick, and a 2029 1st-round pick. The Pacers get the center they have been looking for since Myles Turner‘s offseason departure. If they are so enticed, give the Cavs Ben Sheppard too. He hit some big shots in each of Indiana’s last two playoff runs. He is making just $2.5 million this year.
It’s absolutely a win-win. Once both players are back at full strength, the reigning East #1 seed would get an elite floor spacer and lob threat. And the defending conference champs would add a starting-caliber center that they will have under team control for another three years.
The draft picks would be worth it for Indiana. When Tyrese Haliburton returns next season, he’ll have one of the best lob threats in the league in the middle to toss the rock up to.
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