CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Dec. 29, 2021.
While they won't be acquiring James Haden, the Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten involved in the biggest blockbuster trade of the NBA season.
The Cavs have agreed to a four-way deal that will send Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets. Per Wojnarowski, Cleveland will send guard Dante Exum and the 2022 first-round pick that it acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Rockets, while acquiring center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince from the Nets.
As a part of the deal, Houston will send guard Caris LeVert to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Victor Oladipo. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowsk and Ramona Shelburne were the first to report the deal.
Selected out of Texas with the No. 22 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, the 22-year-old Allen has averaged 10.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks through the first four seasons of his NBA career, including career highs of 11.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 12 games this season. In coming to Cleveland, the 6-foot-11 center joins a Cavs big man rotation that currently includes veterans Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee and Larry Nance Jr.
The No. 12 pick of the 2016 draft, Prince arrives in Cleveland after having spent the past two years of his career in Brooklyn. In 12 games this season, the 6-foot-7 forward has averaged 8.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game.
Having lost their last three games, the 5-7 Cavs will return to action on Friday when they face the New York Knicks.at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.