Cavs Questions: What Jarrett Allen Has To Prove After…

By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk · Monday, October 12

Jarrett Allen shot 63.8 percent from the field last season and posted the best net rating of any Cavalier who played major minutes, but he only suited up for 56 games. Two games into this preseason, he's not on the injury report and has a new three-point shot in his bag.

Jarrett Allen of the Cavaliers — Jarrett Allen. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What is Jarrett Allen's role on this roster?

He's still the starting center, the lob target and rim protector next to Evan Mobley and the frontcourt partner who lets Harden and Mitchell play downhill. Last season he logged 27.1 minutes a night, took 19.6 percent of the offense's usage when he was on the floor and did almost all of his damage inside, shooting 63.8 percent from the field.

What stood out in his last-season line?

The efficiency. Allen averaged 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds on 63.8 percent shooting and 70.9 percent from the foul line, numbers that come from taking shots he can make: dunks, rolls and putbacks, not jumpers. He attempted all of 0.2 threes a game and made just 10 percent of them.

Do the advanced numbers back that up?

Yes. Allen's offensive rating hit 119.3 last season against a defensive rating of 112.9, a net rating of plus-6.4 that led Cleveland's regular rotation. His true shooting mark of 66.9 percent and a 15.2 rebound percentage both say the same thing: when he's on the floor, the math works in Cleveland's favor.

What's in his contract?

Allen is owed $28.0 million this season, $30.2 million in 2027-28 and $32.5 million in 2028-29, a deal that runs right alongside Mitchell, Mobley and Harden's biggest-money years. Cleveland is paying for exactly what he gave them last season: a two-way center who doesn't need touches to be effective.

Is he healthy, and did the preseason tell us anything new?

He's not on the injury report. In the preseason win over Orlando he went for 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 25 minutes and made a three, something he did on just one in five tries all of last season. One shot isn't a trend, but it's the kind of detail that gets magnified.

The verdictAllen doesn't need to score more to matter. He needs to stay on the floor for more than 56 games and keep doing exactly what made him Cleveland's most efficient player last season.

How many games did Jarrett Allen play last season?

He played 56 games, averaging 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds.

What is Jarrett Allen's contract with the Cavaliers?

He's owed $28.0 million in 2026-27, $30.2 million in 2027-28 and $32.5 million in 2028-29.

By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.