Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal 

For Dallas, this deal rests on a couple of assumptions. Firstly, it assumes they don’t sneak into a certain draft range. Suppose Dallas lands the fifth pick or higher. They should be angling for a bigger fish than Allen with that asset. 

Secondly, it assumes that they’re retaining Kyrie Irving. If not, they’ll need to look to trade for an offensive co-star for Luka Doncic this summer. 

If both of those assumptions hold, the Mavericks need to round out their roster around Doncic and Irving. They should probably start with a defensive big man. With that in mind, Allen would be the perfect fit. As long as they don’t play him next to another five, that is. 

From a timing standpoint, the Mavs would need to draft a prospect that Brooklyn would be interested in acquiring since Johnson wouldn’t be able to commit to a new team in his free agency until later in the offseason.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Jarrett Allen, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers & Brooklyn Nets Updates

This scenario would unravel quickly if the Cavs simply favored matching whatever offer sheet Johnson signs in free agency as opposed to entertaining a sign-and-trade.