Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (12) and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) vie for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland has agreed to acquire forward De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks for two players and a package of draft compensation, a person with knowledge of the talks said Thursday.
The Cavaliers struck the deal in the final hours before the 3 p.m. EST trade deadline, sending Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to the Hawks along with future second-round picks and pick swaps, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not gotten league approval.
It was also possible that the trade could be expanded to accommodate other moves being pursued by the Hawks, the person said. It was not immediately clear if that happened.
Hunter was averaging 19 points per game this season for the Hawks. LeVert averaged 10.1 points and Niang averaged 8.6 points this season for the Cavs, both of them playing almost exclusively off the bench.
The Hawks completed a trade with Houston late Thursday, regaining the draft rights to Alpha Kaba in exchange for Cody Zeller and a 2028 second-round pick.