Waiting on an anticipated trade in the NBA happen takes a lot of patience. One that was mentioned early this morning has actually come to fruition before midnight. And it is exactly as stated.
It was reported by Mike Scotto that the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers were discussing a deal centered on De’Andre Hunter. The veteran forward had been struggling a bit during year two in Cleveland, and the Kings had guys that the team was coveting.
Now an official trade, broken by Shams Charania, Hunter is a member of the Sacramento Kings. Keon Ellis and veteran point guard Dennis Schroder are in Cleveland. Backup big Dario Saric is going from Sacramento over to Chicago along with two second-round picks to complete the deal.
This is certainly a lot to unpack, so each team will get a section explaining what they hope to bring in by making said move.
Cleveland Cavaliers Land Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder
With backup point guard being a position of need, the Cavaliers went and addressed that. The Lonzo Ball experiment has not gone well, and now they bring in a guy who has been all over and won. A legend in the EuroBasket, Dennis Schroder was also integral to the Detroit Pistons late run last season.
Coming over with him is Keon Ellis, who has proven to be a very good 3-and-D player. Though a bit undersized, he should provide instant toughness to Cleveland. He was integral to the team’s run to the play-in during each of the past two seasons. The video below shows Ellis dropping 20 points in a game earlier this season.
Both of these guards provide depth and upgrades for Cleveland. Ellis, who is 26 years of age and in his fourth season, has been a highly coveted player around the association this year. The Cavs were the lucky winners of the sweepstakes.
As for Schroder, it provides immediate point guard relief as Darius Garland starts ramping up to return again. It gives Craig Porter Jr. a veteran mentor who plays his natural position. And it could allow for more off-the-ball, rest minutes on offense for Donovan Mitchell. This is a player that has been over the league, and proven himself on the floor.
A home-run hit by Cleveland, at the cost of De’Andre Hunter. He hadn’t been performing up to standard, and was lacking in consistency.
A change of scenery is just what he needed. Let’s talk about what he brings to Sacramento.
De’Andre Hunter Heading to the Kings
With an overabundance of guards, the Kings making a move like this felt imminent. Devin Carter, a lottery pick last year, hasn’t even been sniffing the court. Malik Monk went from 6MOY candidate to a DNP-CD on multiple occasions.
Plus, this is a wing-needy bunch. While Keegan Murray has been out, DeMar DeRozan has started at power forward. At 6’8, De’Andre Hunter will give them legitimate size at the wing. He can pair next to Keegan Murray and even play a little PF next to whichever center is left standing.
Despite the struggles to shoot this year (30% from 3PT, down from 42% last year), he is still averaging 14 points per game.
Dre was averaging nearly 20 per game before the deadline deal to Cleveland last season. He’s proven the ability to make shots and occasionally take over games. His ability as an on-ball defender should instantly endear him to Doug Christie, as well.
The Kings still likely won’t win much the rest of the way, and they probably aren’t done dealing. Look for Hunter, still just 28 years of age, to be a big part of their future plans.
Both teams got something of value in this trade, and it can absolutely be looked at as a win-win.
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