CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers President Koby Altman broke down the decision to trade shooting guard Caris LeVert and forward Georges Niang for Atlanta Hawks swingman De'Andre Hunter on Thursday.
Altman said moving on from the Cavs shooting guard and forward players was not an easy decision, but bringing Hunter in was one the Cavs had to make.
"They were big parts of our culture, so to make these kinds of decisions don't come lightly," he said. "These are hard things to do. I think for us, even though we're off to such a great start, even though the regular season record is what it is, we're thinking past April and we're thinking, 'How do we continue to progress?'"
The Cavs president hopes Hunter is the answer to that question.
The 6-foot 8-inch swingman will add scoring ability and size to the wing, which may be a direct answer to the switches the Cavs have struggled with against their toughest opponent in the East: The Boston Celtics.
The Celtics ended the Cavaliers' record-setting 15-0 start to the 2024 season in November when the Cavs lost 120-117 in Boston, Massachusetts.
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"When you look at the teams that we could potentially have to face, the matchups that are out there in terms of defensive versatility, scoring from the wing, the shot-making, the three-point shooting—we got better. We got better," Altman said.
Hunter, averaging 19 points a game, is also shooting a career-high 6.7 threes per game— making them at a career-high 39%.
"He has a seven three wingspan, so you can't see him on Zoom, but when he shoots, he shoots from up here and it's hard to contest that. And even if you can contest that, he can get that off," Altman explained. "The fact that you're going to have to be one step closer to him, he can get it off very quickly and he can shoot over people."
Hunter's size and abilities on both sides of the ball made him a strong fit for the Cavs. He is undergoing physicals in Cleveland— as are LaVert and Niang in Atlanta. Once all three are cleared, Hunter can take the court. Then, we will see how much of a fit he truly is for the Cavs. A fit particularly focused on strengthening the team in post-season play.
"This is when you get to a seven game series against— you name the team— [and give] Kenny every tool in the box to use to win that series," Altman said.
