How the Cavs Went From Georges Niang and Caris LeVert to Tre Mann

A lot has changed with the Cleveland Cavaliers roster over the last few years. That’s been the case across the league as teams look to both save money and find talent to fill the holes they’ve got.

There has been a bit of an unfortunate situation, one that has taken shape over the past two years. Trades happen and results are expected. And when the team doesn’t get what they want, they move on from the guys.

We’re talking here about how Cleveland went from Georges Niang and Caris LeVert to Tre Mann in less than two years. Deep dive time.

The First Trade with Atlanta

At the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Cavs only really had one flaw. The top seed in the East, they needed a big body to play small forward. They opted to move Georges Niang and Caris LeVert, both solid contributors on the second-unit to the Hawks. Here comes De’Andre Hunter to the rescue. Along with three second-round picks, the deal was completed.

Things went decently after the move was made, and it was great because it reunited Ty Jerome with his college teammate in Hunter. A second-round exit at the hands of the Pacers ended the season. And the year after, though he had one of the nastiest crossovers in franchise history on Josh Giddey of the Bulls, Hunter wasn’t playing his best.

And so now, Hunter’s time was limited. The next deal happened.

The Sacramento Trade

As the Cavs looked to re-tool after a tough start to 2026, De’Andre Hunter was on the move. The team sent him to the Kings at the trade deadline. They were getting smaller again, bringing in Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder in exchange for the wing.

Both guys seemed to fit in well, bringing strong defense and some veteran leadership to the club. The problem was though, by the time the playoffs came around, Ellis wasn’t getting any run, and Schröder’s play proved to be extremely inconsistent. They were lacking in size, and the Knicks were taking them to task all conference finals long.

While the deal started off (like when they acquired Hunter the year before) as a win, the hope soon dwindled. And as of August 14, 2026, both of the guards were on different teams.

Free Agency + Hornets Trade

After much deliberation, Cleveland finally moved on from their veteran point guard. Poised to join his 12th team in 14 years, Dennis Schröder and $4 million were sent to the Hornets on Fri. August 14th. In exchange, the team acquired Tre Mann. The purpose of this deal was primarily to save money, as it would put Cleveland up to $32 million under the first apron and $44 million under the second.

They were hard-capped for a bit and wanted to make sure to cut some funds. While it remains unclear if the scoring specialist Mann will stay with the team, this gives them more money to sign James Harden. Additionally, it allows for additional flexibility in their continued pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga and/or Peyton Watson.

Secondly, Keon Ellis, seen as unlikely to return, inked a two-year, $18 million deal with the Nets. It was a deserved deal after he outplayed his previous value in Sacramento. Going to a rebuilding team should enable him to flourish just a bit more.

In Conclusion

And so in the span of just 18 months, that is how Georges Niang and Caris LeVert (and three second-round picks) turned into Tre Mann.

It’s a tough pill to swallow that this is where it landed, though for now, it gives the team the most flexibility to make the moves they want without having to offload any stars.

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