Hawks Trade De'Andre Hunter to Eastern-Conference Leading Cavaliers

Hunter is averaging 19 points per game for Atlanta this season.

Hunter goes from Atlanta to the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the latest to get in on the action ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hawks are trading forward DeAndre Hunter to Cleveland in exchange for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps.

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. pic.twitter.com/5fpE4LJzpK

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported this morning that the Cavaliers had emerged as the front-runner for Hunter. The deal is now done, and the 6' 8" forward is headed to Cleveland.

Drafted with the fourth pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of Virginia, Hunter is averaging a career-high 19 points per game this season despite coming off the bench for 33 of his 37 appearances. He joins a Cavs team that currently sits at 41–10 and is in first place in the Eastern Conference.

In return for Hunter, Atlanta is receiving two 30+ year-old players in Caris LeVert and Georges Niang, along with three second-round picks and two pick swaps to help them re-build around guard Trae Young. The Hawks are just 23–28 this season and haven't been to the NBA playoffs since 2022–23.

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