One of this season’s most productive bench players is on the move.
Hunter has enjoyed a breakout campaign as the Hawks’ sixth man, averaging 19 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 0.8 steals while playing 28.8 minutes per game. He’s shooting 46.1 per cent from the field and a career-high 39.3 per cent from three-point range.
The 27-year-old has come off the bench for all but four of his 37 appearances this season — a big change for a player who had previously started 237 of his 263 regular-season games.
Hunter was drafted fourth overall by the Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has career averages of 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game over six years in Atlanta.
To acquire Hunter, the all-in Cavaliers gave up two of their depth wing pieces in LeVert and Niang.
Levert, 30, is averaging only 10.2 points this season, his lowest number since his rookie season in 2016-17. The Michigan product has been with the Cavaliers for the better part of four seasons since joining the team via trade from the Indiana Pacers.
Niang, 31, has been a solid three-point shooter off the bench for Cleveland, averaging 8.7 points while hitting 40 per cent of his 4.4 three-pointers per game. He joined the Cavaliers as a free agent ahead of last season.
This is the first move the Hawks have made this deadline. Despite sitting at 23-28, they remain in the playoff picture as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference and slot three games above the 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, lead the Eastern Conference with a 41-10 record. Their 122.2 offensive rating is the highest in the league, and bringing in Hunter and his 117 offensive rating should only help.