11:52 pm: The Hawks have officially confirmed that their trade with the Cavaliers is official, issuing a press release to announce the deal. The two teams ended up not needing a third team to take salary because Atlanta worked out separate deals to cut costs and stay out of tax territory.
12:45 pm: The Hawks and Cavaliers have reached an agreement on a trade that will send forward De’Andre Hunter to Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta will acquire Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms Charania’s report (via Twitter), adding that the Hawks and Cavs are looking to include a third team in the deal as well.
According to Fedor (Twitter link), Cleveland will send Atlanta second-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2031. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports (via Twitter) that the pick swaps will be first-rounders in 2026 and 2028.
As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, the Cavs will move out of the luxury tax as a result of the trade and will now be about $1.5MM below the tax line. They will have two open roster spots once the deal is official (they’ve only been carrying 14 players on their standard roster) and will eligible to sign any player on the buyout market.
The Hawks, meanwhile, will be approximately $2.1MM above the tax line if the current details of the trade remain in place, according to Gozlan (Twitter link). They also have 15 players on their standard roster, so they’ll have to release someone, expand the trade, or make a separate deal to dip below the tax.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), LeVert makes $16.6MM in 2024/25 and will be a free agent this summer. Niang makes $8.5MM this season and $8.2MM in ’25/26 before hitting free agency in 2026. Hunter earns $21.7MM in ’24/25, $23.3MM in ’25/26, and $24.7MM in ’26/27 before becoming eligible for free agency in 2027.
The Cavaliers have been linked to Hunter for years, with multiple reports indicating that the team was pursuing the former No. 4 overall pick ahead of today’s deadline. The 6’8″ forward is having the best season of his career, averaging 19.0 points and 3.9 rebounds on .461/.393/.858 shooting in 37 games (28.8 minutes per contest).
Hunter, 27, theoretically fills a need for a Cleveland team that has long been seeking a small forward with plus size and who can provide versatility on both ends of the court. He has come off the bench for most of ’24/25, but seems likely to start for the Cavaliers, considering what they’re trading away to acquire him.
LeVert, 30, and Niang, 31, have been rotation mainstays off the bench for Cleveland and have contributed to the team leading the league in three-point percentage — LeVert is at a career-best 40.5%, while Niang has converted 40.0% of his outside attempts. They were both reportedly positive presences in the locker room as well.
It’s unclear if the Hawks have interest in retaining either player long-term, as the draft assets seem to be the primary motivating factor for making the trade. Atlanta will also clear off a significant long-term salary in the coming years, giving the team more financial flexibility as it builds out the roster around Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
It’s interesting that the Cavaliers decided to potentially disrupt the chemistry that has led them to the second-best record in the NBA (41-10), but they upgraded at a position of relative weakness while also staying out of the luxury tax, so the deal accomplishes two goals at once. They figure to be a taxpayer for years to come by adding Hunter’s long-term deal, but that was always likely after giving lucrative long-term extensions to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen last offseason.
Regarding the pick swaps in the deal, the language on those is quite convoluted because the Hawks already traded swap rights on their 2026 first-rounder to the Spurs, while the Cavs gave swap rights on their 2026 pick first to the Timberwolves, then to the Jazz. Utah also has the right to swap 2028 first-rounders with Cleveland.
Essentially, in 2026, the Hawks will have the opportunity to swap whichever first-round pick they end up with for whatever pick the Cavs end up with. In 2028, Atlanta will be able to swap its own first-rounder for the least favorable of the Cavs’ and Jazz’s picks.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Dang i don’t like this at all…He’s showing how good he can be this season when’s he’s healthy, which honestly has not been very often. Selling high maybe?
???
Good deal for the Cavs. Liked him coming out of college and I think the new atmosphere and proper usage will allow him to perform at the level he’s capable of. Solid defender, 3 and D guy.
He might be what puts the Cavs over the top in the postseason. They just got a whole lot scarier. Only team that’s arguably better on paper are the Thunder IF they have a healthy Holmgren. Celtics are close, but I’d pick the Cavs in a series after this trade.
W for cavs….
Andrew Wiggins is a better player than Hunter
Wiggins is healthy
Hunter is high risk
Hunter defense has declined
That’s obvious. Cavs didn’t trade for Wiggins, infact they dealt him for Kevin Love back in 2014….
What’s your point? If there ever is one.
Hunter > Wiggins
You obviously didn’t see the 2022 playoffs and the first 7-9 (before his personal issues) games of the next season, Wiggins was a legit all NBA and all defence player. Very short period I know, but that alone makes him a better player than Hunter (who hasnt done much, yet). We all know you jumped on the Warriors bandwagon after their 4th title of the modern era so didn’t see 2 way wiggs.
Great deal for Cavs. He’s still under contract at $47M next two years and he will be apart of a competitive Cavs team. Home run by them. Hawks want to reset their cap I assume and clear that Hunter money and drop down to $139M for next year.
Up next Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capella???
Damn. Cavs got even better. This is crazy.
Excellent deal for CLE. The biggest gap in their roster is now plugged. Hunter gives them that big combo wing that’s so desired around the league. The injury risk is only downside, and that can’t be dispositive when you’re trying to win it all.
Plus they still have multiple options when they are healthy. Wade, Strus, Tyson, and Okoro can all play the 3. LeVert’s been having an up and down season, so they’ve basically increased their ceiling without lowering their floor.
I imagine Strus shifts into a 6th/7th hybrid role, which is good, because he’s a better defender than LeVert with similar offensive game. Maybe Ty Jerome gets a minutes bump to be the full-time 6th man.
They do, but getting Hunter as a lead dog here slides all the others down a notch in terms of the challenges of their assignments. The talent market is too tight in this league to make trades based on matchups against one certain other team. But doing it anyway, BOS is right there with the best 3-4 combo guy in the league in Tatum. Hunter is one of maybe 15 rotation guys in the league who can be competitive against Tatum on the defensive end in both spots, and make him work at least a little when he’s on defense. He doesn’t like that.
Also opens the ability to mix-and-match. Playing bigger with only one of Mitchell/Garland on the floor, or smaller with one of Mobley/Allen. Increasing transition frequency (Hunter’s great in transition, while the rest of the roster can stand to use it more) or trying to slow down faster teams in the half-court. Having that many players who can fill those roles without a serious reduction in defense is a big deal.
Hunter to the Cavs (or Spurs) made too much sense to not happen.
hawks keep being idiots
Cavs going all in on a championship
Hunter is a solid 3 and D wing
Garland Mitchell Hunter Mobley Allen
Jerome Strus Okoro Wade …
Cavs were easily one of the best teams in the league and this deal only makes them better so it’ll be interesting how the post season goes for them. Considering they open up a roster spot (2 for 1 trade) I hope they add a back up big because Tristan Thompson sucks and it would be good to have a more reliable back up for Mobley and Allen. There’s Biyambo, Bamba and Tony Bradley all available that would be good additions
Only injuries can get in the way of a Cavs title this year. They are far and away the best team+HC+FO in the NBA right now. A perfectly-constructed team. No known weaknesses.
they not getting past the celtics
you dont know ball
Lol…OK warriors 22 all over again….safety in numbers. Cavs still got two 6’2 guards who couldn’t guard a parked car and two bigs in today’s switch everything league….good luck with that.
Put some respect on their names. They’ve got two All-Star guards. One is a certified All-NBA player and the other is on the cusp of a historic 50/40/90 season. One of those two bigs is an DPOY finalist and All-NBA Defensive first team selection and the other should be in consideration. They also have two 6th man of the year candidates and an ace in their sleeves do it all in Dean Wade that when he plays their win % sky rockets.
They still have two seconds available. Trade Thompson and two seconds for Yabusele, who the Sixers would struggle badly to re-sign anyway?
Yeah not a bad idea. Grab Yabusele and still have a roster spot open and get a big body like Biyambo
Not a bad idea except trade deadline is over.
Was still open when the trade was proposed.
Bench is terrible… Sam Merrill is a knockdown shooter, though
Ty Jerome is playing with elite efficiency and some good backcourt defense, and now gets a minutes bump to be the full-time sixth man. Strus now joins the bench. When Okoro and Wade get healthy, they’re solid two-way contributors who can play multiple positions. That’s nine deep. Tyson’s still learning but he’s already a solid defender and rebounder who has a touch of shot creation ability. All they really need is a backup big, and there are buyout options now.
This guy knows ball. This trade made the team a lot more versatile. It also created more defined roles. Strus doesn’t have to play out of position as much as a SF and should have even more space now with Hunter on the team as he’s more of an offensive threat than Levert was. Biggest question mark on Hunter is if he’ll be able to play make more than he did on the Hawks.
I don’t think he’ll be used as a focus for playmaking as they already have Garland, Mitchell, Jerome, Strus, and Mobley making plays. Maybe he’ll slot into Strus’ role in the offense, handing out about three assists per game on about 29 passes (currently he’s at about 23 and 1.5, per NBA.com’s pass tracking). If anything though, I think the Cavs will lean on him more for defense thanks to his length, rather than as a hub, and use their current setup of playmakers to run things.
For sure. I’m not saying he should/needs to be a playmaker but I just don’t want him to be a ball stopper. I think he’ll fit right in to that Strus role as well. Strus practically chucks it each time he gets it, but when the defense does close out hard, he has the ability to attack and usually makes a few nice dishes to the bigs once he collapses the defense.
I mean, he’s at 69% of his FG assisted and 94% of his threes on the year, so that’s very unlikely to be a concern.
I know hunter is having a good season, but he is still coming off the bench. Seems like a lot to give up for a reserve. But I haven’t watched him much so maybe he is playing at a starter level.
He is, just blocked by the fact that the Hawks have like six forwards on the roster. He started the last two games and seemed likely to hold on to that if he wasn’t traded. Currently running a career-high 19 ppg on 46/39/86 shooting with typically strong defense. I like his fit better than Cam Johnson and they’re pretty similar on the injury front.
Also the 2026 swap is basically nothing. There’s very little chance the Hawks are better than the Cavs next year.
Thanks for the info. Well cavs are going for it. Glad to see it for Cleveland sports fans.
Hawks make the dumbest trades of all time…. Minus the Mavs
Hunter was finally showing the potential from when he was first drafted with a healthy and productive season. High risk/high reward move for Cleveland, but it makes sense when they’re trying to win it all this year. The healthy version of Hunter is likely a step up from Max Strus, Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade in the starting 5 for Cleveland. Levert and Niang are productive bench guys, but not exactly impossible to replace.
The Hawks likely saw this as selling high on Hunter, who is a talented player that’s struggled throughout his career to be healthy. Levert is on an expiring contract. With the Hawks still in the hunt for a play-in spot, I suspect they’ll keep Levert to help fill in for Hunter’s minutes. Niang has another year at a reasonable $8M. He’s not a flashy player, but a serviceable bench piece. I could see Niang, along with the other assets the Hawks acquired, being used to help facilitate a trade this summer.
Spurs are thrilled by Atlanta’s deadline moves
The Knicks should try to get LeVert, fantastic scorer.
He could help Orlando, too.
How about Josh Richardson? Could he still contribute in the playoffs? If not for a steep decline, he’s a proven reliable player in the backcourt in the postseason
Did someone take off the trade restrictions so everything is accepted?
This is the only trade I like
I told you don’t disrespect the Cavs. Still growing as a team. This is an excellent move. Add him to a good thing. I think it makes them favorite. Williams or Cam would have worked too. Hunter is having a good yr. So again excellent move …..
After Allen and Mobley the Cavs get small.
I would guess that Cleveland will be good for the next few years, so the only 2nd rounder that is likely to be valuable is the 2031 pick – the other two (‘27 and ‘29)will be mid/late 50s. The first round pick swaps in 2026 and 2028 will not have any value because the Hawks are likely to be the worse team in both of those years. So, they traded Hunter for basically a 2031 second rounder and some salary relief…and Niang at $8.2M next year. Strange deal. I assume they could have done better given how good Hunter has looked this year.
Shooting
Splits — .461% FG, .393% (3pt), .858% FT
Hunter is having his best year at 27 yrs old. Cavs are much better today. They should still add a player who gets bought out. Can never have enough depth.
Hard for me to say it. I have to say Cavs are favorites. East top three are for Real …….
This will age well for the cavs. Levert was inefficient.