Cavs Won't Trade Jarrett Allen for Kuminga — Strus, Schroder in Play

The Cavaliers want Jonathan Kuminga. What they won't do is hand over Jarrett Allen to get him. That's the crux of a standstill between Cleveland and the Atlanta Hawks, who've reportedly made their interest in Allen clear for a while now — and gotten nowhere.

According to Marc Stein's Substack, Cleveland still hasn't entertained moving its starting center, even as the Hawks keep dangling Kuminga. Allen is coming off a season where he averaged 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 56 games, good for 32.4 fantasy points per game (2025-26, actual) and a #13 finish at his position in our model. You don't swap that for a project.

Why Cleveland Is Holding the Line

Allen's stock inside the building isn't just about the box score. His work in back-to-back Game 7s helped push the Cavs to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and that's not the kind of résumé you trade for a forward who hasn't proven he can play winning basketball at this level.

Kuminga's appeal is obvious — he's an athletic, bruising forward with real upside. But the market for him isn't exactly on fire, and Cleveland knows it. The Cavs have leverage here, and they're using it to keep Allen entirely out of the conversation.

The Money Problem

Here's the wrinkle: Cleveland is cash-strapped and would need a sign-and-trade to pry Kuminga loose. That means shedding salary. The names in play are Max Strus and Dennis Schroder — either as pieces in an Atlanta deal or in a straight salary dump to a third team that clears room for Cleveland to sign Kuminga outright.

Both are useful rotation guys. Schroder gave the Cavs 10.8 points and 4.9 assists across 70 games for 22.6 fantasy points per game (2025-26, actual), ranking #169 overall in our model. Strus is trickier — he played just 12 games and posted 20.8 fantasy points per game (2025-26, actual), and his last five outings ran 3.2 points below his own season average. Most fans would rather see Schroder go, but it's unclear either draws enough interest, especially with no draft capital to sweeten the pot.

The Fantasy Fallout

For Allen owners, this is the good news you wanted. He's staying put, and his workload as Cleveland's anchor at the five isn't going anywhere. A top-15 center with a locked-in role is a HOLD in every format — no reason to sell into trade noise that keeps fizzling.

Schroder is the one to watch. If Cleveland ships him out, his value depends entirely on the landing spot. Buried on the Cavs bench at 22.6 FPTS/G (2025-26), he's a low-end guard; on a team that hands him the keys, he's a streaming upgrade. Keep him on your dynasty radar but don't chase him in redraft yet.

Strus, meanwhile, is barely rosterable as is — 12 games, a fading form line, and now the leading candidate for a salary dump. Unless he lands somewhere with actual minutes, he stays a DROP in standard leagues. Bottom line: nothing here shakes Allen, and the real fantasy movement waits on which backcourt piece Cleveland finally moves.