De'Andre hunter makes optimistic claim after Cavaliers drop NBA Cup game to Raptors

It was a tough night for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors. De'Andre Hunter spoke to the media postgame about the team's current status.

Oct 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) looks to pass in the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Despite losing their NBA Cup opener to the Toronto Raptors, Cavs forward De’Andre Hunter is remaining confident.

From the start of the season, the Cavs have emphasized that their focus is on the latter stages of the regular season and not the first month. Even so, they could not have imagined the injury conundrum they would have faced.

And in the loss on Friday night to the Toronto Raptors in the Emirates NBA Cup, the Cavs had almost their entire starting lineup missing, with Donovan Mitchell (hamstring), Jarrett Allen (finger), Sam Merrill (hamstring) out, along with Max Strus (foot) and Darius Garland (toe) yet to suit up.  

But for Hunter, he saw it as a chance for the players who wouldn’t usually get the minutes to shine and prove their worth, which he says will benefit the team when the postseason draws nearer.

“I think it's just knowing where you're supposed to be on the court,” Hunter told reporters postgame.

“You don't play off the tendencies of other players. But, since we have new guys, we have to learn that on the fly. [It] might not look good now, but I think that will definitely help us later in the season.

“It's going to be lineups in there that we haven't played with each other, but we have talented guys, smart guys, and over time, we'll learn each other’s tendencies and things like that, and it'll look better.”

Hunter had 26 points and six rebounds in the loss to the Raptors but saw positive contributions on the floor from Australian duo Luke Travers and rookie Tyrese Proctor, who both showed great hustle and energy despite being thrown at the deep end.

Oct 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (20) dunks beside Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Cavs’ fans will also be uplifted with Jaylon Tyson’s continued offensive productivity. Tyson added 18 points, four assists and three blocks against Toronto.

“His energy always helps us,” Hunter said when asked about Tyson’s showing against the Raptors.

“He's a talkative guy; he's an energy guy. Seeing a guy pick up like that gives you the juice to kind of do the same thing. So, he played very well defensively, and I think he played well offensively too.

“So, to have the energy to do both, that's big for us, and it definitely helped us today.”

The Cavaliers stay at home for the second time in three on Sunday, when they host the Atlanta Hawks as they look to bounce back against a team currently owning the same 3-3 record that Cleveland has.