Cleveland Cavaliers Secure De'Andre Hunter In Trade With Atlanta Hawks Ahead Of NBA Deadline

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are making strategic moves to maintain their lead in the Eastern Conference. Reports indicate they have agreed to trade for De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. In return, the Hawks will receive Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two first-round swap rights.

De'Andre Hunter is having an impressive season, achieving career highs with 19.0 points per game and a 39.3% success rate on 3-point attempts. Despite primarily coming off the bench this season, he has shown his potential in previous playoffs, averaging 16.3 points and shooting 40% from beyond the arc in 16 postseason games.

Hunter was selected by Atlanta just before Cleveland's Darius Garland in the 2019 draft. Over his career, Hunter has averaged 14.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while maintaining a 36.8% accuracy from three-point range in regular-season games. His defensive skills and size at 6-foot-7 add valuable depth to Cleveland's wing positions.

Cleveland is giving up two significant bench players in LeVert and Niang. Both have been reliable shooters from beyond the arc, contributing to a team that leads the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 1.19 points per possession this season.

Caris LeVert has averaged 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over 38 games this season, while his career averages stand at 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Georges Niang has maintained a career average of nearly 40% on three-pointers and is currently averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 assists across 51 games this season.

Atlanta's Current Situation

The Hawks are looking to revamp their roster after slipping to ninth place in the Eastern Conference following nine losses in their last ten games. The addition of LeVert and Niang aims to address their recent struggles as they seek a fresh start.

Hunter is under contract through a four-year extension worth $90 million signed before the start of the 2022-23 season with Atlanta. Meanwhile, LeVert's contract is set to expire soon, whereas Niang remains signed until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Cavaliers currently hold a commanding lead over last year's champions Boston Celtics by five games at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 41-10.