Cavs get De'Andre Hunter for Caris LeVert, more. Here's their NBA trade deadline grade

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Cavs get De'Andre Hunter for Caris LeVert, more. Here's their NBA trade deadline grade

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Thu, Feb 6, 2025 ·

3 min read

De'Andre Hunter from Hawks to Cavs NBA trade grade: Instant reaction

Grade: A

Why: The trade fills the top position of need for a coaching staff led by Kenny Atkinson and allows a front office guided by president of basketball operations Koby Altman to avoid the luxury tax.

Hunter, 27 years old and under contract through the 2026-27 season, increases the Cavs' flexibility. He could start with the core four of All-Star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland , All-Star forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen or provide a coveted spark off the bench, like he did in Atlanta, while Max Strus , Dean Wade (upon returning from a right knee bone bruise) or Isaac Okoro (upon returning from a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder) starts at small forward.

On paper, Hunter (19 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 46.1% from the field and 39.3% on 3-pointers) boosts Cleveland 's title chances. He has shown the Cavs this season how good he can be, scoring 26 and 23 points in wins over Cleveland and 25 points in Atlanta's loss last week at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) on Dec. 13, 2024, in Cleveland.

LeVert (10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 45.3% from the field and 40.5% on 3s) has been good for the Cavs on both ends of the floor, but he has not sustained the level of firepower Hunter has displayed this season. LeVert, 30, recently returned from a seven-game absence caused by a right wrist sprain and went scoreless in each of the past two outings.

Niang (8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 47.7% from the field and 40% on 3s) gave the Cavs another quality option off the bench. However, the 31-year-old Niang's role decreased significantly in the 2023-24 playoffs, when Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals and fell to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in five games.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) on Jan. 27, 2025, in Cleveland.

The best argument against the Cavs making a move before Thursday's deadline is it could potentially disrupt the outstanding chemistry the team possesses.

Yet, there is at least one reason to believe Hunter will fit in well with the Cavs. He and backup point guard Ty Jerome are close friends who won a national championship together at the University of Virginia in 2019. They were both starters for another set of Cavaliers .

In a way, the logic behind this move can be compared to the Cavs firing J.B. Bickerstaff in May and hiring Atkinson in June. Cleveland had established itself as a good team with Bickerstaff, but the franchise thought a coaching change could elevate it to greatness. The 2024-25 Cavs have been elite in the regular season, but the organization is betting on Hunter making the team even better, especially with an eye to the playoffs.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .