Top 3 De’Andre Hunter Trade Destinations If Cavs Shake Things Up

Maybe not panic time for the Cleveland Cavaliersbut each loss must send the Cavs closer and closer to filling their panic stations. They’re now 17-15 on the season after suffering a fourth-quarter meltdown on Christmas Day en route to a 126-124 loss to the New York Knicks, and this level of performance just won’t cut it for the team with the most expensive roster in the league.

While reports indicated that Cleveland won’t be making any major roster decisions in the middle of the season, preferring instead to explore overhaul scenarios come the offseason if they fall again early in the playoffs, growing uneasiness within the team could force them to make desperate moves.

For this purpose, someone like De’Andre Hunter, whom the Cavs acquired last Februaryit might eventually be available for trade. Having plenty of 3-and-D wings is a must for any contending team, but his $23.3 million salary for this season could become a trade chip for a potential upgrade or future cap liability relief.

If Hunter becomes available on the market, here are four teams that make sense as potential destinations for the Cavs forward.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are a mess right now; they have lost three straight games and their defense is a mess. They now have the sixth-worst defense in the NBA (in terms of defensive rating), allowing 118.1 points per 100 possessions. And their offense hasn’t been good enough to cover up their woes on that end of the floor lately, especially now that Austin Reeves will miss at least a month with calf strain.

With the Lakers in winning mode, LeBron James in the twilight of his career, and Luka Doncic at the peak of his powers, many expect the Purple and Gold to be active buyers with the trade season underway.

While Lakers fans would certainly like their team to pull off a blockbuster trade, all indications point to their front office making a minor move or two instead of trying to bolster the roster. they are saving your assets for 2027when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Donovan Mitchell could hit free agency.

Acquiring Hunter in a trade with the Cavs shouldn’t jeopardize the Lakers’ long-term plans, as his contract expires in 2027. With the Lakers needing more size and speed on the wing, pulling a trade for Hunter based on the Gabe Vincent and Macky Kleber contracts could work. But the Cavs wouldn’t simply trade Hunter for the sake of it, and the Lakers wouldn’t overpay for his services, making for two incompatible trade partners.

2. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are another aging team that needs a change or two to try and maximize another brilliant season from 38-year-old Stephen Curry. They are also one of the teams most prominently mentioned in trade rumors, with the Dubs most likely to find a new home for Jonathan Cummings when his trade restriction is lifted on January 15th.

Kuminga’s trade value varies widely depending on who you ask; some believe he is an All-Star caliber player whose growth has been rapid stunted by coach Steve Kerrwhile some think he will be nothing more than an empty statistic on a losing team.

The Dubs can dream all they want about trading Kuminga for a star. But the fact is, he’s not even playing much of a rotation for them right now, and he’s not even playing well in the limited minutes he’s getting. His trade value is the worst.

There will always be a team that could take on Cumming’s potential; maybe that team is the Cavs. A three-team trade structure where the Warriors get Hunter while the Cavs get Cummings could work; but is Hunter the kind of deal the Dubs would want to get for someone they’ve had such high hopes for over the past few years?

1. Orlando Magic

The Magic, much like the Cavs, will face a crisis in the next few years. They have huge contracts on the books from Paolo Buncher, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bain and Jalen Suggs; this will force them to make a difficult scheduling decision in the coming years.

According to reports, Jonathan Isaac is the most likely player for the Magic to be traded for cap relief. Isaac signed a five-year, $84 million contract with the team just last year, but given the team’s situation, he has proven to be the most expendable player on the Magic’s roster.

To that end, perhaps the Cavs would be interested in bringing in Isaac, sending Hunter to Orlando in exchange.

The situations with the Magic and Cavs will make this trade difficult. At that point, Orlando may no longer be interested, as they’ll need to add Tyus Jones and Jett Howard (or at least make up the $8.3 million difference between Hunter and Isaac’s season salaries) just to make the money work.

However, Hunter’s contract expires in 2027, and Orlando can always move him this offseason to create even more roster space. His contract expires in the offseason, making him an attractive trade tool for teams that have some players they want to get off the books themselves.

Orlando is still a defense-first team, but their frontcourt is stacked (Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Mo Wagner when healthy), making Isaac an expendable piece. Hunter, meanwhile, provides more wing depth for the Magic and another scorer who can do damage off the dribble.

For the Cavs, Isaac could pair with Mobley or Allen in lockdown defensive lineups; Having Isaac around as an elite team defender should also give Cleveland more insurance moving forward for their weak defensive backfield of Mitchell and Garland.