Jarrett Allen was among the assets sacrificed by the Nets when they traded for James Harden last year, but it turns out that will not be their only career connection.

Allen, the fifth-year center who has helped lead the resurgent Cavaliers back towards the top of the Eastern Conference this season, was named as an All-Star Game injury replacement for Harden (hamstring), who was traded earlier this month from the Nets to the 76ers.

“It’s still a lot to take in. I don’t think I’ve fully grasped the moment that I’m in. I’m a part of the top 24 players in the NBA at All-Star Weekend,” Allen said Saturday from his home arena in Cleveland, the site of this year’s festivities. “I’m super excited. It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time and now that it’s finally here I’m ready to soak up the whole moment.

“It’s excitement for an experience I’ve waited for my entire life, and excitement for getting to be on the court in front of my family and [hometown] fans.”

The 23-year-old Allen is posting career-highs with 16.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game this season. He joins point guard Darius Garland as one of two All-Star representatives from the improved Cavaliers, who are tied with the 76ers for the third-best record (35-23) in the Eastern Conference. The franchise hasn’t made the playoffs since LeBron James’ second departure, following a loss to the Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals.

“We take a lot of pride in it. It’s honestly a different situation for Cleveland finally. Not having LeBron, and being one of the better teams,” Allen said. “But as a young team and having to play against some of the best teams in the NBA and still winning and coming out on top, it’s something else.

“I think the city of Cleveland is happy for this to happen. We’re showing and proving the Cavaliers are back. We’re finally back and ready to play basketball.”

Allen, who signed a five-year extension with Cleveland worth $100 million last summer, added that he wasn’t as surprised as others might have been about the blockbuster trade that sent Harden to Philadelphia for a package headlined by Ben Simmons.

“I was a part of the big trade last year, so I kind of knew what the rumblings meant,” Allen said. “That [Nets-Sixers trade] was something the whole NBA was looking at.

“My reaction was, wow, I genuinely believe both teams got better from that trade. Those are two very good teams that are able to go and take it all. … It’s a crazy race and those big moves can change a lot.”

Just as a change of scenery has benefitted both Allen and the Cavaliers.