San Diego-native and 27-year-old star Jarrett Allen has been a pivotal figure for the Cleveland Cavaliers since joining Kenny Atkinson’s team five years ago. He arrived as part of a four-team trade that saw James Harden move from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets. As fate would have it, the pair are teammates in 2026, but Allen has not spent much time with the veteran due to his own injury struggles.

The former Texas Longhorns star missed 10 consecutive games in March, dealing with right knee tendinitis. The injury, initially reported as a contusion/bruise, resulted in an extended spell on the sidelines. The star center returned at the end of last month, but the Cavs are carefully managing his minutes with the team aiming for a deep playoff run. But Allen offered a concerning update regarding his knee in his latest interview with NBA reporter Chris Fedor.

“Definitely still sore out there,” Allen told cleveland.com earlier this week. “Definitely not 100%. I’m not able to put a lot of pressure on my knee sometimes. Jumping and landing on the knee still hurts. Not as much as before, when I first got hurt, but still managing it and definitely still struggling with it.”

Despite his struggles, Allen returned with a bang, dropping 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to help his team in a 149-128 victory over the Miami Heat last weekend. The team rested him for Monday’s matchup vs. the Utah Jazz but featured in the 113-127 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers last night. He chipped in with 18 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes, but you got the sense that he was holding back.

When questioned whether he would be at ‘full strength’ heading into the postseason, Allen replied, “I don’t know. It’s just the truthful answer to that. Hopefully, it gets better. I’ve gone through tendonitis all of my career. That’s just a big man’s thing you have to deal with. I think it is going to get better. We have been doing so much to make it get better — and it has — but I can’t answer that question.”

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Allen confessed. “Injuries always suck for anybody, especially at the timing when it happened for me. But you know how I am. What can I do about it? Just have to keep on moving. Having that outlook makes it a lot easier.”

Coach Atkinson ‘shocked’ by Jarrett Allen’s impact on team stats

In Allen’s absence, the Cavaliers went on a 6-4 run in their last 10. But his absence left a void in the team, especially on the defensive end. Without Allen in the lineup, the Cavs’ defense fell to 24th in the league rankings, highlighting his impact.

“I was surprised when I looked at those numbers,” Atkinson added. “Because the team is pretty darn good. I guess his impact is greater than I even thought. He is a top 40 player in this league. You lose a guy like that, and you take a hit, as good as we are at other positions. This is an invasion sport, and he invades the rim and protects it. That’s hugely valuable in this league.”

Since joining Cleveland in 2021, Allen’s rise to prominence has been a delight to watch. In the 621 games Jarrett Allen has played for Cleveland, the Cavaliers are 237-150 all-time with Jarrett on the court, as opposed to 127-191 without him.

Another crazy stat reveals that Kenny Atkinson’s boys are 135-49 when Allen has a double-double. This record underscores how critical the 27-year-old is to their postseason aspirations.

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended March with a 10-5 record. They sit comfortably as the fourth seed in the East with a 47-29 record. Allen’s seamless reintegration becomes the X-factor for a deep playoff run against juggernauts like the Celtics and the Pistons.

His blend of athleticism, IQ, and unselfish play not only fortifies the frontcourt alongside Mobley but also elevates the likes of Mitchell and Harden to play with confidence. Cleveland’s championship ceiling, therefore, hinges on whether Allen’s knee can withstand the grind of a deep playoff run—a question that will define their entire season.