The Atlanta Hawks made one of the most significant moves today at the NBA Trade Deadline when they sent forward De’Andre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and three second round picks, and future pick swaps.

There has been a lot of reaction around this trade, including from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. Pelton gave Cleveland an A- for the deal while giving the Hawks a C-:

“As well as Hunter had played this season, he’s not part of the Hawks’ future wing starters. Those are Risacher, who has been getting on-the-job training as a starter at age 19, plus guard Dyson Daniels. With that in mind, Atlanta moved Hunter to better balance the team’s books going forward.

Still, this feels like too little value in return for a good player on a reasonable contract. Between this trade and one sending Bogdan Bogdanovic to the LA Clippers for Bones Hyland and Terance Mann, the Hawks have slashed their 2025-26 payroll. For now, it’s unclear how they might use that spending power, given that none of the team’s own free agents (LeVert and Clint Capela, recently displaced as starting center by Onyeka Okongwu) feels like a priority to re-sign to a large contract.

LeVert can bring value to the Hawks’ bench the rest of this season in the same type of role Hunter was playing. Jerome’s emergence has reduced LeVert’s playing time this season, but he’s shooting a career-high 40% from 3-point range and improved as a perimeter defender during his time in Cleveland.

Perhaps more importantly, the Hawks acquired one of the NBA’s most improbable winningest players in Niang. Starting with his previous time playing for Atlanta coach Quin Snyder in Utah, Niang has consistently been part of winning teams. Last year’s 48-34 Cavaliers record tied the worst Niang has experienced since his rookie campaign with the 2016-17 Indiana Pacers. Niang’s teams have reached the second round each of the past four seasons.

Niang’s defensive limitations can be exposed in the postseason, but in a reserve role his 40% 3-point shooting is a plus.”

 Hunter is currently having a career season and has been firmly in the running for 6th Man of the Year. He is averaging a career-high 19.0 PPG on 46% shooting from the field and a career-high 39% from three. He has two more years on his contract after this season and is owed $23.3M next season and $24.9M for the 2026-2027 season. He signed a four-year, $95M extension ahead of the 2022-2023 season.

Atlanta moved up in the draft to get Hunter, going from 8th to 4th, while also landing Cam Reddish with the 10th pick. The Hawks hoped that both would be the kind of wing players that they needed around Trae Young, but it never quite worked out that way. Hunter played in 63 games in his rookie season and averaged 12.3 PPG on 41% shooting and 36% from three.

Injuries have been a problem for Hunter in his career with the Hawks and that could be a reason for Atlanta moving him despite his career season. He played in 23 games during the 20-21 season (Atlanta’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals), 53 games in 2021-2022, 67 in 2022-2023, and 57 games last season. He has played in 37 of 51 games this season.

LeVert is currently averaging 10.2 PPG on 45% shooting from the field and 40% from three. He has played in 38 games this season and will give the Hawks a scoring option off the bench. Niang is averaging 8.1 PPG this season on 48% shooting from the field and 40% from three. Niang will likely see plenty of time in Atlanta with Hunter being traded and Jalen Johnson out for the rest of the season.

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