The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the league during the 2024-25 NBA season and they owe a lot of that success to the overall talent on the roster.
The Cavaliers boast a legitimate “Big 4” of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but they also have a strong staff led by head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Cleveland also boasts some solid depth, and it sensed the perfect opportunity to bolster its roster at the trade deadline when it acquired De’Andre Hunter.
The Cavaliers sent Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two pick swaps to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Hunter.
The move signaled Cleveland was all-in on this season, and it’s proven to be a worthwhile move as Hunter has provided much-needed scoring off the bench.
He has been one of the best sixth men in the league and is leading the NBA in an impressive stat.
“De’Andre Hunter continues to lead all NBA bench players in scoring at 17.0 PPG as a reserve. 2024-25 Top Bench Scorers (PPG off bench): 1. DE’ANDRE HUNTER – 17.0 PPG; 2. Malik Beasley- 15.3 PPG; 3. Payton Pritchard – 13.9 PPG,” Cavs Notes wrote on X.
De'Andre Hunter continues to lead all @NBA bench players in scoring at 17.0 PPG as a reserve.
2024-25 Top Bench Scorers (PPG off bench):
1. DE'ANDRE HUNTER – 17.0 PPG
2. Malik Beasley- 15.3 PPG
3. Payton Pritchard – 13.9 PPG#LetEmKnow https://t.co/Mtg3a5PG66— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) April 5, 2025
Hunter seems to be in a prime position to win Sixth Man of the Year, though he’ll face stiff competition from Beasley of the Detroit Pistons and Pritchard of the Boston Celtics.
A 3-and-D wing prototype, Hunter has the length and size to shoot over smaller defenders while still holding up well on defense.
He has given the Cavaliers more options in the halfcourt, and he should have a sizable role in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals How Cavs Can Change The Narrative About Them
