Allonzo Trier rejects Cavs’ interest, per report

With the NBA’s transaction window closing at 11:59 PM EST on Tuesday, there will be plenty of free agents garnering interest around the league. Allonzo Trier, a young guard who can score at all three levels, is one of the biggest names headlining this free agency group after being waived by the New York Knicks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were one team that was interested in signing Trier, per cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, but the feeling wasn’t mutual.

“While they revisited a deal with Trier after he cleared waivers, the former Knicks guard was looking for more money and a different contract structure than the Cavs were willing to give,” wrote Fedor. “Members of the front office also questioned his fit alongside young guards Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Collin Sexton.”

Trier was in the final year of a two-year, $7 million deal before being waived by the Knicks late last week. According to NBA analyst Ti Windisch, Trier’s relationship with the Knicks has soured recently, allowing for this opportunity for the young guard to choose his own destiny. Not only is Trier ineligible for the postseason because he was waived after March 1, but next season’s NBA salary cap could dip due to the lost revenue from the coronavirus crisis.

Thankfully for Trier, he won’t have trouble finding a home by Tuesday’s deadline. In 88 career NBA games, the 24-year-old has averaged just under 10 points per game, while shooting 48% from the field, 38% from three-point range and 80% on his free-throw attempts. For now, he can join a team and serve as a microwave scorer off the bench.

It also makes sense long term for him not to be a member of the Cavs. As Fedor alluded, there would be a ton of positional overlap between Trier, Garland, Porter Jr., and Sexton. It’s smart of Cleveland’s front office to leave no stone unturned when it comes to young talent available in free agency, Trier included. But, it’s for the best that Trier didn’t become a member of the team.