The Cleveland Cavaliers have earned a spot in the NBA’s top-10 plays countdown from the 2025-26 season, and the moment that landed there belongs to former Cavs forward De’Andre Hunter.
The play came against the Chicago Bulls, when Hunter crossed over Bulls guard Josh Giddey, shook him loose, and finished with a slam dunk. It was a clean showcase of Hunter’s handle, and the league slotted it in at No. 10 as it narrowed its countdown from the top 100 plays of the season.
Hunter’s Cleveland run was brief, but he was part of a season that helped the Cavaliers move past the second round of the playoffs for the first time. That progress ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Cavs were swept, but the team still came away with some clear growth on the floor. With a stronger-looking roster heading into the new NBA season, Cleveland is hoping that momentum carries over.
Hunter arrived in Cleveland as the team’s major trade deadline addition during the 2024-25 season, with the front office believing he could raise the ceiling of the group. He appeared in 27 games for the Cavaliers after the trade, putting up 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from three. Cleveland later fell in the second round to the Indiana Pacers.
This past season, Hunter played 43 games before being dealt away in a deadline move to the Sacramento Kings. His production dipped to 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, and his three-point shooting dropped to 30.8 percent.
The deadline deal was a three-team trade that also involved the Bulls. Hunter is now with Sacramento, trying to help the Kings get back on track.
Cleveland has already moved on, replacing Hunter by signing defensive wing Peyton Watson to a four-year, $88 million contract. The Cavaliers are looking for more big moments like the one Hunter delivered in the highlight countdown, with Donovan Mitchell leading a team that still has title ambitions.
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