At 9-32, the Indiana Pacers own the worst record in the NBA. It’s been an uphill battle for the team due to injuries in 2025-26. First off, the team is without all-star PG Tyrese Haliburton for the entire year.Â
He tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Additionally, starters and key rotational players have also missed time due to injury. This offseaosn, the team parted ways with big man Myles Turner. He signed with the Bucks in free agency. Since then, the team has searched for a new center. Recently, NBA insider Sam Amico reported that the Pacers are monitoring Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen ahead of the trade deadline.
Would Indiana trade for a player of Jarrett Allen’s caliber?
The Indiana Pacers are monitoring Jarrett Allen, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/hsC8SpEljA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 15, 2026
Jarrett Allen is in his ninth professional season and sixth with the Cavaliers. He was originally drafted with the 22nd pick by the Brooklyn Nets out of Texas. Allen has appeared in 364 games and made 353 starts for Cleveland. The 2024-25 season was Jarrett Allen’s first time appearing and starting all 82 games. In 2025-26, he’s started 30 of the team’s 42 games as of Friday, January 16. NBA insider Sam Amico reported that the Pacers are monitoring Allen’s availability.
Since they lost Myles Turner in free agency, the Pacers have been left searching for answers at center. Turner was a staple in Indiana’s front court for nearly a decade. Head coach Rick Carlisle has used several players to fill the void Myles Turner left. However, the Pacers need a long-term answer. That’s why Sam Amico believes the team will monitor Jarrett Allen. The one-time all-star is still just 27 years old and has plenty of quality basketball left.
REPORT: The Pacers have considered asking the Cavs about Jarrett Allen, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/7RZNI3PEo8
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) January 15, 2026
Trading for Jarrett Allen in-season might be the difficult part for the Pacers. NBA insider Chris Fedor reported in December that the Cavs are hesitant to part ways with Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland. Trading for one of those players might be a move best-made in the offseason. Sources around the league say the Cavs want to let this roster finish the year before they make a drastic decision.
Additionally, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Pacers have an interest in Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu. He’s averaging a career-high 16.3 points per game in 2025-26. Fischer said there is no indication that the Hawks would want to part ways with Okongwu. Indiana already owns the worst record in the NBA. Why trade for a center now when that could wait until the offseason? The Pacers shouldn’t be in a rush to acquire a new big man.
