De’Andre Hunter has struggled since the Atlanta Hawks traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading to the former top-five pick reportedly looking for greener pastures. Matt Moore reported on Hardwood Paroxysm that “there’s a lot of smoke around the idea that DeAndre [sic] Hunter, or at least his representation, would prefer he be somewhere else.”
De’Andre Hunter reportedly wants out of Cleveland, per @HPbasketball
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 13, 2026
“Among the things I tend to squint skeptically at is when someone says ‘that guy wants out bad.’ NBA players do tend to have pretty good perspective that they make tens of millions to play basketball and that… pic.twitter.com/erNIzQOQ4C
Hunter was drafted to be the star forward alongside Trae Young in 2019. A four-year player who led Virginia to a National Championship as a senior, the swingman had all the tools required to be the perfect partner for Young. His defense was elite in college, and his jumper showed promise.
Seven seasons later, however, Hunter is having the worst season of his career. He has never translated his physical traits into impactful defense or rebounding, ranking in the bottom 10% of small forwards in three-year defensive RAPM. Even his usually steady deep shot has been cold, falling from 40.5% last year to 30.3% this season.
The Cavaliers have been a disaster this year. They stand seventh in the East after being the clear preseason favorite, with nearly every key player posting a relatively disappointing season. Hunter is both contributing to and being hurt by the team’s struggles.
The Hawks traded Hunter at the last possible moment
Hunter is in the third season of a four-year, $90 million deal. He is set to make $24.9 million next season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent.
The Hunter saga has interesting parallels to his former co-star, Young. Both former Hawks are still impactful players, particularly on offense. When Hunter’s jump shot was falling last season, he was statistically one of the league’s elite low-volume wing scorers. Any team could use such a talented plug-and-play option to fill out the starting lineup.
Like Young, however, Hunter’s deficiencies in other aspects of the game make it difficult to build a successful team around him. The Hawks and Cavs both experienced sharp drop-offs in defense and rebounding during his minutes.
Also like Young, Hunter has a contract that will expire relatively soon, which explains why his representation wants him out of Cleveland. After his contract expires, he realistically has one long-term contract left in his career. If the Cavaliers are going to be a dumpster fire that tanks teams’ perception of Hunter, the wise move is to find a stable situation to help drive up his contract value.
What the Cavaliers are now realizing, however, is that Hunter isn’t quite the player that would complete their playoff team. Despite the beautiful offense and the appearance of sturdy defense, Hunter has never quite figured out how to be a truly winning player. Atlanta was ridiculed for their meager return package, but earning two first round swaps could end up being a steal in the Hawks’ favor.