The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade forward De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two swaps, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Cavaliers Were Seeking Additional Size In Their Frontcourt
Hunter, 27, was having a breakout year in his sixth NBA season with the Hawks, averaging a career-high 19 points per game while also shooting a career-best 39.3% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-8 Hunter now joins a Cavaliers team that sits atop the Eastern Conference standings and was aiming to enhance their frontcourt depth ahead of the All-Star break.
The Philadelphia native provides much-needed size for Cleveland. His 18 20-point games off the bench are the most in the NBA, and he leads the league with 18.9 points off the bench as well.
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
De’Andre Hunter is in the second year of a four-year, $90 million extension he signed with the Hawks in 2023. He isn’t set to hit unrestricted free agency until summer 2027.
LeVert, 30, was also having an exceptional season with the Cavs, averaging 10.2 points and shooting 40.5% from 3-point territory off the bench. However, he was logging just 23.8 minutes per game, his lowest since his rookie season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, Niang was in his second season with the Cavs and had appeared in all 51 games (one start) for Cleveland this season. He averaged 8.7 points, a career-high 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 20.6 minutes with the Cavs.
Hawks Made Other Trades Before The Deadline
Atlanta made a few other moves before Thursday’s trade deadline, sending Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for guards Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, sources informed Charania.
Mann, 28, signed a three-year, $47 million extension with the Clippers in September. He was in his sixth season with the Clippers, where he was selected in the second round by the team in the 2019 NBA draft out of Florida State.
The 6-foot-5 Mann started the first 11 games of the season for L.A., but he has come off the bench since then. He started in a career-high 71 games last season. His best year was during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged a career-best 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
The Hawks also agreed to trade veteran center Cody Zeller and Houston’s 2028-second round pick to the Rockets. The Indiana product played for the New Orleans Pelicans last season and was involved in the offseason deal that swapped Dyson Daniels and Dejounte Murray, but he has yet to make his season debut due to personal reasons.
