The Cleveland Cavaliers swung a deal ahead of last year's trade deadline to bring in De'Andre Hunter to fill their starting small forward position. Unfortunately for all involved, Hunter has failed to solve the franchise's big need on the wing.
The Cavaliers paid a hefty price to bring in the former No. 4 overall pick. They parted with Caris LeVert, George Niang, two pick swaps and two second-rounders to seal the transaction with the Hawks. The idea was for the versatile wing man to slot into Cleveland's starting lineup for years to come.
In theory, a low-usage wing like Hunter should be a perfect fit alongside some of Cleveland's big stars. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland both want the ball in their hands a high percentage of the time. Big man Evan Mobley does not command the same level of offensive volume, but his usage rate is higher than most of his peers. The Cavaliers were right to be in the market for a wing who would be satisfied focusing on defense without needing a ton of shots.
What's caused DeAndre Hunter to fail in Cleveland?
The process of acquiring Hunter was relatively sound, but it's been a failure on the floor for the Cavaliers. The veteran has fallen out of the starting lineup behind the likes of Dean Wade and Jalen Tyson on the wing. Hunter remains in the rotation, for now, but he's clearly failed to become the high-level role player the team's front office envisioned when they traded for him.
The biggest issue with Hunter's play this season is that his shooting has fallen below an acceptable rate for a starting small forward. He's only shooting a shade over 30 percent from 3 on just 5.5 attempts per game. That is not enough volume or effectiveness for a player enjoying the sort of space Hunter enjoys with the Cavaliers.
Hunter's 3-point accuracy has waxed and waned throughout his career, but his current percentage is the worst mark he's ever posted. Most perplexing is that it's 12 percentage points lower than he shot from behind the arc during the 2024-25 campaign. Hunter has never been a high-volume shooter from the perimeter, but his steady accuracy made up for that shortcoming in previous seasons.
The former Virginia standout's defense continues to be a point of contention for scouts. He appears to have all the physical gifts required to be a plus defender on the wing, but advanced statistics have never considered him anything more than an adequate performer. His -1.3 DBPM on the year shows that he is not a stopper. That's a real problem for a Cavaliers team that protects its on-ball defenders by playing Mobley and center Jarrett Allen behind them for long stretches.
Not down for Deandre Hunter.
— Red Mamba (@Purpl3andGold) January 30, 2026
He’s an okay player overall. But he’s been a minus defender for over 4 seasons that coasted on reputation among fans.
Need to add plus defenders around Luka and Austin to me. Anything else is going in the wrong direction. https://t.co/fq8Gr2LCh2 pic.twitter.com/Fz66uUxvho
What's next for the Cavaliers and De'Andre Hunter?
The Cavaliers are not blessed with a ton of options if they want to replace Hunter this year. The duo of Wade and Tyson have already been installed ahead of him and it seems likely that Cleveland will roll with that plan unless Hunter's play picks up down the stretch.
There are currently rumors linking Hunter with a move to the Lakers in exchange for Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. It's hard to see how that trade would improve Cleveland's title credentials this year unless a third team becomes involved to route a better asset to the Cavaliers.
Hunter's contract runs out at the end of the 2026-27 season which gives the franchise the chance to leverage him as an expiring contract next year. No one should be surprised if he turns into the matching salary for Cleveland's next attempt to land a big-name star. The Cavaliers and Hunter are probably stuck with one another until then but this marriage will end relatively soon.