The Cleveland Cavaliers are not standing pat at the NBA trade deadline. Instead, they're adding a pretty big piece to a team that's already the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Cavs are acquiring De'Andre Hunter from Atlanta for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-rounders and two pick swaps.
The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5fpE4LJzpK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
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NBA trade grades: Cavs upgrade wing position
Love it, love it, love it for Cleveland. Hunter is having far and away the best season of his NBA career, averaging 19.0 points and shooting over 39 percent from 3-point. He's developed into the player Atlanta hoped he would be since he was drafted No. 4 overall, and now he heads to a Cleveland team that lacked one thing — a reliable wing presence.
With Niang and LeVert gone, get ready for even more Ty Jerome. Fun! Jerome has been astonishingly good for Cleveland this year, and shipping out two bench players is a clear vote of confidence in him from the Cavs front office.
Atlanta made a deal it didn't really have to make, and I don't adore the return. If you assumed that Atlanta made this trade because Hunter is a free agent this offseason... you're wrong! Hunter has two full years after this year still on his deal.
Those two pick swaps could be valuable with Cleveland clearly going all in right now, but I don't get why Atlanta would hold this deal up for a first-rounder or one of Cleveland's young guys. Jaylon Tyson? Isaac Okoro?
It's not quite Luka-level bad for the Hawks, but it's surely not great. I see Cleveland as a clear winner here.