How the Cavs emerged as contenders with their supersized frontcourt

When the Knicks take the floor inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday, with the Cleveland crowd in free T-shirts and Donovan Mitchell wearing Cavaliers wine and gold, New York’s attempt to land Mitchell from the Utah Jazz this past summer will set the backdrop for a compelling first-round playoff series. But there is another blockbuster trade, mind you, involving an All-Star guard and a team based in New York, which is responsible for the opposite end of Cleveland’s vaunted starting lineup: All-Star center Jarrett Allen and second-year forward Evan Mobley.