Warriors could take advantage of rival's dire cap situation with recent mock trade

As the Golden State Warriors seek to solidify their roster this offseason, their primary aim has evidently been to find a center who can offset some of their issues at the position over the past couple of seasons.

While the most likely solution lies in signing veteran Al Horford, a recent mock trade from Fadeaway World allows the Warriors to acquire a star-caliber center, Jarrett Allen, while taking advantage of a rival's disadvantageous cap situation.

While such a deal would be difficult to pull of financially, and would likely cost Golden State a significant asset or two, Allen's skillset could be exactly what is needed to put the team back into title contention.

A deal for Jarrett Allen might not be out of the realm of possibility

As the Warriors head into next season, they presumably have realized that they cannot rely on the under-sized Draymond Green or the defensively developing Quinten Post to take on full duties at center for a championship-level team.

Therefore, the mock trade from Fadeaway World, which proposes that the Cleveland Cavaliers swap Jarrett Allen for Moses Moody, Gui Santos and a 2028 first-round pick, would be the best possible outcome for Golden State this offseason.

Allen, an All Star in 2022, has been one of the most reliable centers in the league for a number of seasons, and, although his offensive impact was down last season, he still averaged 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

At 6'11", Allen presents a formidable presence in the paint and around the rim and, with a league-leading 70.6 field-goal percentage last season, also brings a reliable scoring package to the table.

Yet, the Cavaliers, who lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers, now must face the second apron if they wish to keep their core of Allen, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley intact.

While it would be painful, the team could move on from Allen, who will be entering his final year of a five-year, $100 million contract before his more hefty extension kicks in, in order to avoid such a fate.

While Moody, who has a cap hit of roughly $11.5 million dollars this offseason, could get the Warriors part of the way there on a deal, a third team would likely need to be involved in order to make the finances work, and a player such as Buddy Hield could be a worthy inclusion.

Therefore, while the Cavaliers would gain a young player or two as well the opportunity to avoid hefty luxury tax penalties and financial restrictions, Golden State could nab the exact piece needed to make their roster stronger.