NBA Trade Deadline: Atlanta Hawks Deal De'Andre Hunter To The Cavaliers For Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Picks

Hunter is on the move to the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference after spending over five seasons in Atlanta

Nov 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) drives as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) defends in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The rumors surrounding a potential De'Andre Hunter trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers began yesterday and today, the Atlanta Hawks officially sent Hunter to the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. After being drafted by the Hawks with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and spending nearly six seasons with Atlanta, Hunter is on the move. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hawks are sending Hunter to Cleveland for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and pick swaps.

This seems to be a bit of a salary dump for the Hawks. There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding Hunter in the past, but trading him for an expiring contract, Niang, and second-round picks seems odd considering the type of season he is having.

LeVert is an expiring contract while Niang makes $8.2M in the last year of his deal next season. This move puts the Hawks in the luxury tax and seeing as how they have not paid the tax under owner Tony Ressler, expect more moves to come.

LeVert is currently averaging 10.2 PPG on 45% shooting from the field and 40% from three. He has played in 38 games this season and will give the Hawks a scoring option off the bench. Niang is averaging 8.1 PPG this season on 48% shooting from the field and 40% from three. Niang will likely see plenty of time in Atlanta with Hunter being traded and Jalen Johnson out for the rest of the season.

Hunter is currently having a career season and has been firmly in the running for 6th Man of the Year. He is averaging a career-high 19.0 PPG on 46% shooting from the field and a career-high 39% from three. He has two more years on his contract after this season and is owed $23.3M next season and $24.9M for the 2026-2027 season. He signed a four-year, $95M extension ahead of the 2022-2023 season.

Atlanta moved up in the draft to get Hunter, going from 8th to 4th, while also landing Cam Reddish with the 10th pick. The Hawks hoped that both would be the kind of wing players that they needed around Trae Young, but it never quite worked out that way. Hunter played in 63 games in his rookie season and averaged 12.3 PPG on 41% shooting and 36% from three.

Injuries have been a problem for Hunter in his career with the Hawks and that could be a reason for Atlanta moving him despite his career season. He played in 23 games during the 20-21 season (Atlanta's run to the Eastern Conference Finals), 53 games in 2021-2022, 67 in 2022-2023, and 57 games last season. He has played in 37 of 51 games this season.

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