It’s been nearly a year since the Cavaliers made what felt like a defining move-trading for De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. At the time, it looked like Cleveland had finally found the fifth piece to complete their core.
With Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen already in place, Hunter was supposed to be the perfect plug-and-play wing: a floor spacer with defensive versatility who could guard positions two through four. On paper, it made all the sense in the world.
But now, as we settle into early 2026, the conversation around Hunter has flipped entirely. Instead of being the missing piece, he’s become the odd man out. And for a lot of Cavs fans, it didn’t even seem to matter what the return package was-just moving on from Hunter felt like a necessary step.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t about a lack of fit in theory. In fact, when Hunter shared the floor with Cleveland’s core four, the metrics actually backed up the idea that he was a good match.
The problem was, that lineup was rarely healthy all at once. Whether it was Mitchell dealing with a nagging injury or Mobley missing time, the Cavs never got enough of a sample size to see how far that group could go together.
Ironically, Hunter might’ve been the most durable of the five during his time in Cleveland.
But durability alone wasn’t enough. The version of Hunter that Cleveland needed-the one who complemented the stars without needing to be one-only really showed up when the full core was intact. When injuries hit and Hunter was asked to take on a bigger role, things started to unravel.
Hunter has some self-creation in his game, and that’s something the Cavs have lacked in their supporting cast. But when he was tasked with doing more, his limitations became more pronounced.
Possessions stalled. The offense bogged down.
There were too many moments where Hunter would hijack a set with a tough pull-up jumper or an early-clock three that didn’t have much of a chance.
Last season, those shots found the bottom of the net often enough to justify the attempts-he shot 42% from deep and 48% from the field. This year, though, the percentages have cratered.
He’s down to 30% from three and 42% overall, and those same questionable decisions now come with a much heavier cost. Add in a noticeable drop in rebounding and defensive effort, and the concerns only grew louder.
There were long stretches where Hunter looked disengaged on the glass, routinely getting boxed out and outworked by smaller players. He wasn’t playing like a guy with something to prove. He was playing like someone stuck in a role that no longer made sense.
Meanwhile, Jaylon Tyson’s emergence made the decision even easier. Tyson brought energy, rebounding, and adaptability-the kind of traits Cleveland desperately needed from that fifth spot. He’s shown the ability to fill different roles depending on who’s available, and that flexibility has become a must-have for a team that’s constantly dealing with injuries.
To his credit, Hunter accepted a move to the bench 23 games into the season. He didn’t make noise about it.
He tried to adjust. But the results didn’t follow.
There was no bounce-back, no spark, no stretch of games that hinted at a turnaround. It was more of the same-low-impact minutes, inconsistent shooting, and a lack of rhythm.
So when the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a deal that brought in Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, it wasn’t about getting equal value for Hunter. It was about moving in a different direction.
Neither Schroder nor Ellis is expected to replicate what Hunter was supposed to bring. But that’s the point.
Cleveland is done waiting for a version of this roster that only exists in theory. They’re building for the reality they’ve lived with-where the full core is rarely healthy, and depth and adaptability are more valuable than hypothetical fit.
Hunter didn’t fail in Cleveland because he lacked talent. He just never found the right role, and the Cavs couldn’t afford to keep chasing a version of their team that never seemed to materialize.
It was time to pivot. And now, with new pieces in place and Tyson continuing to rise, the Cavaliers are hoping this shift gives them the stability they’ve been missing.
The Hunter experiment didn’t pan out. But in the NBA, knowing when to move on is just as important as knowing when to go all in.