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The Atlanta Hawks were busy hours before the trade deadline, trading away De'Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two swaps. Hunter had been in trade talks for the past couple of days, as the Hawks have been trying to shed salary and have more flexibility going into the future. For the Cavs, the goal is clear: they're in win-now mode, and Hunter adds a two-way presence to their bench to compete for a championship.
This may not be the only deal that the Hawks make, as there are some other players on the team who have a chance of getting moved right before the deadline.
Hawks trade De'Andre Hunter to the Cavs
De'Andre Hunter had been in trade talks for the past couple of seasons, but it was hard for the Hawks to get good value for him since his contract was viewed as a negative. Hunter has had a history of injuries, and his play had not lived up to his contract until this season. He started the season off with a knee injury, but once he came back on the floor, he looked like a completely different player for the Hawks, so much that he's the frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Year.
Hunter had been doing it on both sides of the floor for the Hawks, averaging 19.0 points per game and guarding some of the opposing team's best players. His offensive jump was big, and head coach Quin Snyder credited Hunter's ability to shoot over defenders and make quick decisions for his improved play.
With Hunter having one of the best seasons of his career, his value skyrocketed, and it only made sense for the Hawks to get as much value as they could for him.
Hawks looking to stay flexible with trade
The main goal of the Hawks over the past few years has been to stay out of the luxury tax, and getting a deal for Hunter would help them do so. There seems to still be some things getting ironed out with the trade because it still keeps them in the tax, and a third team getting involved could change that. Nonetheless, most of the moves the Hawks have been making are to stay flexible in the future.
Caris LeVert will be a free agent after this season, and Georges Niang still has two years left on his deal. For now, LeVert can be a scoring option for the Hawks coming off the bench, and Niang can help with the depth at forward they need with Jalen Johnson out for the season.
The Hawks don't have their pick for this season, so the goal is to remain financially flexible while still trying to compete. In today's NBA, it can be hard to win without spending a lot of money, but the Hawks are young and still have a lot of room to grow. If you look at this transaction as a future move, the Hawks did what they had to do, but currently, it sets them back for this year because they lost a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
