With the Cleveland Cavaliers officially out of the NBA playoffs, the focus is quickly shifting to the 2026 NBA draft. A recent mock draft points to forward Amari Allen of Alabama as a potential fit—especially at small forward, where Cleveland’s search for the
The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially out of the NBA playoffs, and the sting is hard to miss. The postseason ended, the questions didn’t. Now the organization is looking ahead to the 2026 NBA draft as a way to make next season feel more certain—especially in a role that’s been a moving target.
In a mock draft published on Saturday, May 23, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report laid out his projections for the upcoming class. In that scenario, Cleveland would select forward Amari Allen from Alabama.
The reasoning is tied to an ongoing problem: Cleveland “keep trying to find the right fit at small forward,” with the search still clearly open. Buckley frames it bluntly, pointing out that “Nothing that has happened this postseason would suggest Cleveland has its long-term solution at that spot.”
Allen, in the mock, isn’t presented as a guaranteed fix for everything the Cavaliers need. Buckley adds: “To be clear, there’s a real chance Allen wouldn’t fully fill that void, either, but he’d be a sensible target just to find out.”
He then zeroes in on the kind of versatility Cleveland could use. Allen “defends multiple positions. gets active on the glass and can finish most scoring chances others create.” In other words. even if he isn’t the single missing piece at small forward. the upside is that he can still contribute in multiple ways—particularly on the defensive end and in the moments that come after rebounds.
Even beyond Buckley’s specific pitch, there’s a clear appeal to what Allen represents. The Cavaliers keep searching for stability at a position that has felt unresolved. and Allen’s mix of size. athleticism. and defensive versatility maps onto that need. The hope is that he could impact games even when he’s not the one taking the shot—catching the ball off the glass. covering space. and finishing opportunities that develop from other players’ work.
A playoff exit can sharpen frustration, but it also forces decisions to arrive faster. Cleveland is out now. The draft is the next door—one that, in this mock, opens toward Alabama and a forward named Amari Allen.
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