Cavs Acquire De’Andre Hunter for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and picks
A Hawk has landed in Cleveland! According to ESPN’s Shams Charnia, De’Andre Hunter, the 6’8 swingman, has been traded to the Cavs in a package for guard Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, three second round picks, and two swaps that will be sent back to the ATL. On the last day of the trade deadline, they acquire the 3&D wing they’ve been looking for, bringing much-needed length on the perimeter with a 7’2 wingspan and a consistent 3-point shot.
The team will miss LeVert’s creation with the second unit, but by bringing in Hunter, they find the wing player that they have been missing since…well…You-Know-Who left. Not that Hunter is on the level of such a player, but the guard/forward averages 19 points a night, 3.96 rebounds a game, and is almost a 40% shooter from three (39.3%).
Trading away Niang does limit the front court, with Dean Wade shelved. Tristan Thompson is now the backup big until buyout season or until Wade returns, but it also allows for some pressure off Evan Mobley from defending the other team’s best player every possession. Can Cleveland find someone on the buyout market or make another trade before the deadline to acquire a backup big?
In a season where the Wine and Gold have had one of the best records in the NBA, this move solidifies the small forward spot that had been rotating between Dean Wade, Issac Okoro, and Max Strus throughout the first half of the season. Hunter figures to start at the 3 spot on the court, between Mitchell and Mobley, and take some of the defensive pressure off the smaller guards Cleveland deploys as well as give some help to Mobley when there are pick-and-roll situations. Hunter becomes the ideal defender against players the Cavs will see in the playoffs like Jayson Tatum, Jaylon Brown, and OG Anunoby.
The trade helps Cleveland stay under the tax as well, which is important for adding to the roster in the next year or two. If they were to go over the apron, they might have to sacrifice players like Wade or backup guard Ty Jerome in salary crunches. This move is a perfect meld of “now and later”. Hat tip, Koby Altman!
