It is not a matter of talent for De’Andre Hunter.
Sure, he may not be what many expected of a top-five pick, the second-highest draft pick on the Hawks’ roster. He has turned himself into a quality two-way player and, this season, has taken his offense to even greater heights.
However, there remain questions about Hunter amid outside views that their current middling path makes them ripe for a trade.
That could make Hunter, in Year 2 of a four-year, $90 million contract, a prime trade candidate.
“De’Andre Hunter has come up in trade rumors over the years,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote on December 2. “However, executives around the league question his durability despite his 3-and-D skillset, making him a potentially tough trade candidate to move with nearly $70 million owed through the 2026-27 season.”
Hunter has earned praise for his play this season. Trae Young cited Hunter’s aggressiveness following the Hawks’ 124-112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on December 2.
Hunter had a team-high 22 points and was 4-for-7 from deep in the contest.
This is not the first we have heard of Hunter’s potentially barren trade market.
“We know that the Hawks have been looking to unload DeAndre Hunter, right, who is owed about $22 this year, $23 next year, $25 the year after that,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said on “The Hoop Collective” podcast on September 10. “That's not a great contract. Is it worth a team like the Lakers taking on that contract and what would be a financially motivated move for the Hawks?”
Hunter also falls into a precarious gray area following Hawks CEO Steve Koonin’s comments about the roster from the summer.
“I think we’re going to be long, we’re going to be athletic, we’re gonna be very young. And I think this team is gonna be an incredible amount of fun,” Koonin said on “Dukes & Bell” in August. “And there’s a good chance Trae Young is our oldest starter at 26 years old.”
Hunter turns 27 years old in December.
Of course, Koonin could have very well had a range in mind as much as a specific age, so the comments could prove more ominous for a player like Clint Capela.
Hunter is playing really well this season, averaging would-be career highs of 18.5 points on 64.1% true shooting. But he missed 10 games following the Hawks’ second game of the season and has made 60-plus appearances in a season twice in his career.
A knee injury first sidelined him this season but he later stayed out following the birth of his child.
He has the third-best on-off differential on the team, per Cleaning The Glass. The Hawks are 7-3 when Hunter has suited up this season, much to head coach Quin Snyder’s approval.
“He's pretty important, obviously, right? Put an exclamation point on that,” Snyder told reporters about Hunter’s impact following the win over the Charlotte Hornets on November 30. “I think it',s as much as anything, the way that he's playing. I don't think he gets enough credit for all the little things that he does, in part, because there are a lot of times they're not as visible.
Dre drills his 3rd three of the game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jOxAipwvFB
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 3, 2024
“He's always in the right place defensively. He's just a warrior. And when you say that, those are guys that just bring it not just every game, but all game long. And he's really embraced shooting the 3. And I think with his size, it's almost like he – and he's worked on it. Coach Lang and him working on shooting it quick where it's tough to block it – like a contested three for him is a good shot,” Snyder said.
“Coupled with him really, I think, getting out in transition and attacking the rim, he'll end up – you don't always end up at the rim," Snyder said. "But his physicality, if he does get to a midrange, he's open. And he's doing a heck of a job. He's a guy that … I feel lucky to coach.”