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Cavs trade De'Andre Hunter to Kings for Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis
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- Cavs trade De'Andre Hunter to Kings for Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis
The Cavaliers struck a notable deal ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sending small forward De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis , a league source confirmed for the Beacon Journal on Jan. 31.
The Cavs announced the trade on Feb. 1.
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"After careful evaluation and a clearer view of the Eastern Conference landscape, we believe adding Dennis and Keon strengthens our depth, expands our flexibility, and positions us to keep building a Championship caliber team now and into the future," Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a news release. "In a season defined by its parity, this move better aligns us for a deeper postseason run. I'm thankful as well to De'Andre, who made an immediate impact upon his arrival to Cleveland and represented the Cavaliers with class. We appreciate everything he did for us both on and off the court, and we wish him the best in Sacramento."
The Cavs acquired Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks just before last year's trade deadline . This year, they agreed to trade Hunter to the Kings five days before the deadline. Hunter did not prove to be the long-term answer Cleveland sought at small forward.
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ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the trade and added the Cavs are creating about $50 million in salary and luxury tax savings this season with the transaction. However, Cleveland remains the NBA's only team in the second apron, at least for now.
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The Cavs may make additional moves before the deadline.
The Hunter trade includes three teams, with the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round draft picks (one from the Cavs in 2027 and one from the Kings in 2029, according to ESPN).
Cavs acquire Emanuel Miller from Bulls and waive Luke Travers
As part of the three-team deal, the Cavs acquired forward Emanuel Miller from the Bulls. Miller is on a two-way contract.
In a corresponding move, the Cavaliers waived forward Luke Travers,who appeared in 12 games this season with the Cavs and 15 games, including 10 starts, with the NBA G League's Cleveland Charge.
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The Cavs picked Travers in the second round (No. 56 overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft. He had been on a two-way contract this season.
"We drafted Luke in 2022 and have seen his development improve each year and thank him for his contributions to the franchise," Altman said in the release.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) looks to shoot against Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji (22) on Jan. 2, 2026, in Cleveland.
How did De'Andre Hunter play for the Cavs this season? How will Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis fit with the Cavaliers?
Hunter struggled this season with the Cavs (29-21), starting with Max Strus sidelined because of offseason foot surgery and then moving to the bench primarily because of shooting woes.
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With the Kings (12-38) trading Schroder to the Cavs, Cleveland will gain point guard depth, which it needs as Darius Garland deals with a sprained right big toe while continuing to work back from offseason surgery on his left big toe and Lonzo Ball unable to consistently produce off the bench. Ball has what is essentially an expiring contract, and he is an obvious trade candidate with the deadline looming.
With the Cavs getting Ellis, they will add a formidable perimeter defender, something they have missed since trading Isaac Okoro to the Bulls last summer in exchange for Ball.
From a big-picture perspective, the Cavs have underachieved this season. Although Cleveland showed improvement and went 10-5 in January, team brass obviously considered a roster shake-up necessary, and Hunter had been underperforming for a steep price.
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Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. on Jan. 23, 2026, in Cleveland.
Dennis Schroder stats
Schroder started 14 of the 40 games in which he appeared with the Kings this season. He is averaging 12.8 points on 40.8% shooting from the field (34.3% on 3-pointers), 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 26.4 minutes.
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Dennis Schroder contract
Schroder's three-year, $44.4 million contract is scheduled to run through the 2027-28 season. He is making $14.1 million this season. He is set to make $14.8 million in 2026-27 and $15.5 million — with only $4.35 million of it guaranteed — in 2027-28, according to spotrac.com .
A native of Germany, Schroder has played for 10 NBA teams and has been traded several times since he entered the league in 2013 as a first-round draft pick (No. 17 overall) of the Hawks. This past summer, the Kings acquired Schroder in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons .
Dennis Schroder height, weight
The Kings list Schroder as 6 feet, 1 inch and 175 pounds.
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Dennis Schroder age
Schroder is 32 years old.
Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis reacts after making a 3-pointer against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 1, 2026, in Sacramento, California.
Keon Ellis stats
Ellis started five of the 43 games in which he appeared with the Kings this season. He is averaging 5.6 points on 39.7% shooting from the field (36.8% on 3-pointers), 1.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 17.6 minutes.
Keon Ellis contract
Ellis will be eligible to sign a three-year, $52 million contract extension beginning Feb. 9, according to ESPN. Ellis' three-year, $5.1 million deal is scheduled to expire this summer. He is making $2.3 million this season, according to spotrac.com .
The Cavs will be Ellis' second NBA team. He entered the league in 2022, when he signed a two-way contract with the Kings as an undrafted rookie out of Alabama.
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Keon Ellis height, weight
The Kings list Ellis as 6 feet, 5 inches and 175 pounds.
Keon Ellis age
Ellis is 26 years old.
Cleveland Cavaliers wing De'Andre Hunter runs the court against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 21, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
De'Andre Hunter stats
Hunter started 23 of the 43 games in which he appeared with the Cavs this season. He is averaging 14 points on 42.3% shooting from the field (30.8% on 3-pointers), 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 26.2 minutes.
De'Andre Hunter contract
Hunter's four-year, $90 million contract runs through the 2026-27 season. He is making $23.3 million this season, and he's set to make $24.9 million next season, according to spotrac.com .
De'Andre Hunter height, weight
The Cavs list Hunter as 6 feet, 8 inches and 227 pounds.
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De'Andre Hunter age
Hunter is 28 years old.
When is the NBA trade deadline?
The NBA trade deadline is 3 p.m. Feb. 5.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs trade De'Andre Hunter to Kings for Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis
