Speaking with the media on Tuesday, De'Andre Hunter opened up on his experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers after the Sacramento Kings traded for him a few days ago.
“It was great,” Hunter told SacTown Sports in a scrum after the first practice with his new team. “I enjoyed my time. I think it was a little short, but I definitely enjoyed it. It's a business. You've just got to roll with the punches.”
In 70 games with Cleveland, Hunter averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in just under 26 minutes a night. He shot 44.5% from the floor with a 35.2% clip from long distance.
Unfortunately, this season didn't work out the way either party intended it to when the Cavs traded for the 28-year-old forward at this time one year ago. It looked like Hunter was going to be a key cog right off the bat, nailing every triple in sight, breaking down opponents off the dribble, and covering a ton of space with his length defensively.
After rolling in the Miami Heat series, Hunter broke his thumb against the Indiana Pacers on a hard foul from Bennedict Mathurin; he wasn't himself even when he played through it. This summer, the Cavs were adamant that Hunter would be the last piece of the puzzle in the starting five. His size, offensive ability, and physicality were thought to complement the Core Four, and Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson was adamant on getting to know him better in the offseason.
Following a star-like training camp, Hunter hurt his knee in the preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons and was behind the 8-ball. He missed the first two games of the season, then played 21 of the next 23 contests as a Cavs starter. After a rough December beginning, Atkinson and Hunter mutually decided it was best for him to come off the bench.
Although the role adjustment paid off initially, Hunter just never found his rhythm, and his minute count was dipping. Besides the shot-making downturn, his turnovers and decision-making were unrecognizable. Atkinson felt it was because he played with different lineups featuring younger players that he didn't share the floor with last year. The emergence of Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin likely had a part in Hunter's role changing as well.
“I was hurt,” Tyson said of learning about the trade. “I was super close to Dre. He's like a brother to me now; almost a year it's been with him. He's a great player. Excited for him and his new journey, and hope everything goes well.”
The Cavs know that Hunter is better than what he showed, and Atkinson even admitted that it was circumstantial.
“That's my dawg. I love him,” Cleveland All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said Sunday. “We all wish him the best, and he was a hell of a player for us, hell of a player in general. Sometimes, things happen. This is the business. He's a pro's pro. He understands it. He works his butt off. I have no doubt he's gonna continue that.”
“From our side, we work in the business,” Jarrett Allen added. “But when you make these personal connections, it's always hard to see somebody that you've been playing even a year with; that's a long time in the NBA. It's hard to see him go.”
Despite a foul-heavy, nine-point debut for the Kings against the Memphis Grizzlies, Hunter feels good about coming into a Sacramento situation with good energy. With a clean slate, does he feel like he has something to prove?
“I wouldn't say to that extent, but I have my own expectations,” Hunter said. “I feel like my own expectations are higher than what anyone else expects of me, so I just try to hold myself to a standard, and I'm usually good with that.”
