Cleveland Cavaliers Urged To Pursue Trade For Former Top 5 Pick

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers try and a swing a deal to acquire De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks?

Nov 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts beside Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been busy extending their own players this offseason, reaching new deals with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

However, when it comes to adding pieces to the roster, they have stood pat.

Outside of selecting Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick of the NBA Draft, the Cavaliers haven't added a single new player this offseason, and time is running out.

However, Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com sees an avenue for Cleveland to potentially add an impactful player as the summer winds down.

Of course, the primary way the Cavs can make a trade is through Isaac Okoro, who is a restricted free agent and could be signed-and-traded.

We have heard rumors about the Cavaliers possibly sending Okoro to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith or Cam Johnson, but Sands has thrown another name into the mix: Atlanta Hawks wing De'Andre Hunter.

Hunter was selected by the Hawks with the fourth pick of the draft back in 2019, and while he hasn't really lived up to expectations, he is still a fine player. Last season, he averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 84.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Plus, while Hunter is probably not going to be making any All-Defensive teams, he is a decent on-ball defender, and at 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, he would provide Cleveland with the big wing defender that it sorely needs.

It should also be noted that the Cavs have expressed interest in Hunter in the past, as they kicked the tire on him around last February's trade deadline.

The catch is that Hunter is about to enter the second year of a four-year, $90 million contract, which would put the Cavaliers in a rather precarious position tax-wise next offseason.

That being said, Hunter would certainly represent an upgrade over Okoro and would definitely be a nice addition for a Cleveland squad that absolutely needs another wing scorer.