Cavs are “front runners” for De’Andre Hunter

With just a few hours to go before the trade deadline, the Cavs seem positioned to bolster their roster.

With the NBA trade deadline just a few hours away, teams are going to be scrambling to get deals done. The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be one of those teams as they angle to upgrade their wing rotation, and rumors continue to swirl that they are close to a trade.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the Cavs are “emerging as a front-runner” for the 6-foot-8 Hunter. Cleveland’s front office has been interested in Hunter for quite some time, dating back to his college days and the 2019 NBA Draft.

The 27-year-old Hunter would immediately fill a big need for a Cavs team that just had its biggest flaw exposed on the national stage - a big wing. Isaac Okoro and Max Strus are three inches shorter than Hunter and Dean Wade has issues staying healthy, which the Boston Celtics exploited on Tuesday night.

Hunter is having a bounce-back season, posting a strong few months of play that has led to a career-high 19 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the floor. Hunter is also averaging a career-best 39.1% shooting from the three-point line, something that the Cavs need out of whoever plays small forward. Just as impressive is that Hunter is hitting these marks while playing a career-low 28.7 minutes per game.

The question is what would the Cavs have to give up to acquire Hunter? Caris LeVert’s expiring $16.6 million contract would be of interest to the Hawks, who could clear salary in the process. Georges Niang and Isaac Okoro would also work financially, but it is unlikely the Cavs are willing to move on from the latter after signing him to an extension this past offseason.