After spending nearly six full seasons in Atlanta, De'Andre Hunter was traded to the Cavs at the trade deadline in exchange for Caris Levert, George Niang, three second-round picks and two pick swaps in a money-saving move for the Hawks.
In 37 games for the Hawks before being traded, Hunter was averaging a career-high 19.0 points to go along with 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists over 37 games.
How Hunter has fit in with the Cavs
Cleveland, before trading for Hunter, was already playing like the best team in basketball, and they were loaded with a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball. Cleveland's front office decided to push their chips to the middle of the table and grab another young ascending wing who could contribute on both sides of the ball, and it's paid off immedaitely.
"I'm just so glad how aggressive he's being," Kenny Atkinson said on Hunter after the Cavs decimated Orlando. "He's not just trying to fit in; he's really come into our team with force and kind of imposed his will on both ends."
Atkinson added: "Sometimes after a trade guys just want to fit in, they don't want to step on anybody's toes. He's just struck the right balance. I'm just thrilled, again, both ends right?"
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Cavs numbers with Hunter are astounding
In the six games Hunter has been a Cavalier, we've seen this group continue to take yet another step up. Cleveland, over this stretch, is number one in offensive rating (127.5), defensive rating (104.1), net rating (23.4), rebounds per game (50.8), bench points per game (48.2) and they're a perfect 6-0 coming off a 40-point win in Orlando.
Head Coach Kenny Atkinson continued to speak glownigly about the acqusiton of Hunter and how he's been a perfect fit for his team.
"The offense is almost a bonus, although I know in Atlanta he was having a great offensive year," Atkinson said of Hunter. "He can defend 1 through 5. Those guys are invaluable, and he does it intelligently...real credit to his background, right? UVA, [Univeristy of Virginia] Tony Bennett. When you get guys like that from elite programs, his fundamentals, on both ends, are excellent."
Hunter has been nothing short of spectacular since joining the Cavs, as we've seen him average 14.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in six games.
Cleveland, after a 40-point beat down in Orlando, has now tied their win total from last season and will look to finish out the regular season strong as they have championship aspirations this season. Atlanta trading Hunter didn't make sense at the time, and it hasn't aged any better a few weeks later.