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.
Hunter, 27, is having a career-year in his sixth season in the NBA, averaging highs in points (19), 3-point attempts (6.7) and 3-point percentage (39.3%). He’s had a larger role in Atlanta’s offense and responded well to the extra scoring responsibility, fulfilling some of the promise he had as a top-five pick in the 2019 draft.
A big factor in his increased scoring output has been a jump in his free throw rate. He’s gone from three free throw attempts per game for his career entering this season to nearly five per game this year. He’s also taking a higher percentage of his shots from 3-point range.
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Hunter joins a Cavaliers team that sits atop the Eastern Conference and was looking to add more size on the wing. LeVert, 30, was having a strong season in Cleveland but at 6-foot-6 was giving up some size as a small forward.
Hunter is in the second year of a four-year, $90 million extension he signed with the Hawks in 2023. He isn’t set to hit unrestricted free agency until the summer of 2027.
LeVert is in the final year of his deal.
