Cavaliers Considered Two Other Big Trades Before De'Andre Hunter

The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to get a major NBA trade deadline move done. De'Andre Hunter was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks and will bring more offense to the table along with solid defensive ability.

Hunter seems to be a perfect fit for the current makeup of the Cavaliers. Only time will tell how the fit actually works, but there are a lot of reasons to be excited about it.

While the trade for Hunter has excited the Cleveland fan base, the front office did consider some other moves before pulling the trigger with the Hawks.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers pursued Cam Johnson, but his price tag was simply too high. They also considered the idea of pursuing Marcus Smart.

"Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson was one of Cleveland’s top targets. But he was too expensive, with the Nets wanting at least multiple first rounders. Chicago’s Lonzo Ball was another — until the Bulls held on and signed him to a two-year contract extension," Fedor wrote.

"There was also an internal conversation about tough, physical playoff-tested 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. Only that was a little riskier given Smart had just returned from a partial tear of his right index finger, and there wasn’t enough time to evaluate how healthy and effective he would be, not to mention his stylistic fit. Smart ended up going to Washington in a move that created roster flexibility for the Grizzlies. He is not expected to receive a buyout. Portland’s Jerami Grant was intriguing too — apart from an overly-hefty contract that would’ve caused too many departures."

Clearly, the front office was busy ahead of the deadline. With the success that Cleveland has had so far this season, adding talent was a clear direction. Hunter will help the Cavaliers compete for a championship.

Smart and Johnson would have been very intriguing additions, as would have Grant. All three players would have helped the same goal that Hunter will now help with.

Fans should be ecstatic to hear how aggressive the front office was. Having a team winning at a high level and a front office willing to go all-in is a great situation.

Hopefully, Hunter ends up being the perfect fit that Cleveland expects him to be. He has played well so far this season in Atlanta and the hope is that his production translates to the Cavaliers.