Cavaliers land De’Andre Hunter ahead of NBA trade deadline
The Cleveland Cavaliers added more firepower before the trade deadline after acquiring forward De’Andre Hunter in exchange for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round selections, and two pick swaps.
Hunter is in the second year of his four-year, $90 million deal that runs through the 2026-27 campaign. The 27-year-old is in his sixth campaign averaging career highs across the board with 19.0 points while shooting 39.3 percent from beyond the arc on 6.7 attempts per game.
Hunter has blossomed into a highly reliable offensive option that will add scoring to the Cavaliers’ already balanced roster. He will likely immediately step into a prominent role as one of the key scorers alongside All-Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and big man Evan Mobley.
Beyond that, Hunter fits into the mold as a potential key long-term piece as part of their young core group that holds an extremely promising future ahead.
Meanwhile, LeVert heads to the Hawks after a productive stint with the Cavaliers where he averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 assists while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 199 games.
LeVert should garner a significant role with the Hawks, likely filling the spot Hunter held. He is in the second year of his two-year, $32 million deal.
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Cleveland holds a comfortable lead atop the Eastern Conference standings at a 42-10 record ahead of the defending champion Boston Celtics (37-16) by 5.5 games.
The Cavaliers have struggled to move past the Celtics this season, losing their two meetings this season.
