Cavs center Jarrett Allen owes his spot in Cleveland to the Indiana Pacers and a trade

Jarrett Allen would never have made it to the Cleveland Cavaliers without the Indiana Pacers.

Or, if he had, it would've happened in a much different manner.

It's fitting that Allen has grown into a star center who will help the Cavs try to hold off the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Because four years ago, these teams became linked in a huge trade.

Those in the NBA would probably call it the James Harden trade (well, one of them), but it was more than that.

In January 2021, the Cavs, Pacers, Rockets and Nets took part in a four-team trade.

In essence, the Nets got Harden, the Rockets got Victor Oladipo and picks, the Pacers got Caris LeVert and the Cavs got Allen and Taurean Prince.

There were a lot more layers in there, but Cleveland more or less plopped itself into this deal.

The Cavs only sent out Dante Exum and Milwaukee's 2022 first-round pick to Houston to wind up with their franchise center.

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The Pacers swapped Oladipo for Levert and a pick, then LeVert ended up with the Cavs a year later.

Cleveland and Indiana both became hangers-on to the larger Harden to the Nets package. Brooklyn couldn't quite get the deal done by itself, so Cavs and Pacers assets helped that huge swap get over the line.

For their troubles, the Cavs wound up with Allen.

And since then, the afro-rocking center has continued to grow into a star in the paint.

He finishes lobs, has nice touch, swats dunk attempts and has figured out how to play in two-big lineups with Evan Mobley.

Cleveland's chances of winning an NBA title depend on both bigs being at their best.

Allen will first get to match up with the Pacers, a team he never played for but a team that helped him move to his current home.

It's a fitting moment on this journey for Allen and the Cavs.

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