Hunter has yet to be maximized.
Trading for De’Andre Hunter in the middle of the 2024-25 season was perhaps the biggest move the Cleveland Cavaliers have made since selling the farm for Donovan Mitchell in 2022. Hunter fit all of the theoretical boxes this team had been missing — but there wasn’t enough time for him to grow into that role last season.
Can Hunter make good on his potential in his first full season with the Cavs?
Cleveland has long needed a true small forward with legit size and athleticism who can hang on both ends of the floor. Max Strus has been formidable, but he lacks the size to be a full-time option. Isaac Okoro also lacked size, as well as the offensive skills to make things work. And the Cavs hit a dead end with Dean Wade, as he’s simply not a starting-caliber player.
All of this points to the obvious. Hunter should be the Cavaliers’ starting small forward next season.
He’s a 6’8” athlete with a 7’2” wingspan and a strong enough frame to competently defend opposing wings. Hunter is a physical tool the Cavs have been missing. Why would they deprave themselves of this any longer?
It made some sense why the Cavs stuck to their original starting five last season. The team won 64 games and Strus was consistently playing above his head as a makeshift small forward. His ability to space the floor and serve as a tertiary playmaker makes Strus a better-than-expected fit in the starting lineup.
But Strus can effectively do all of those same things from the bench. In fact, he’ll have more opportunity to handle the ball and play in tandem with Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland when he’s not crowded by all of them at once. A bench lineup featuring Strus at the two and Mobley at the five should make for an effective combination.
Again, it’s understandable why Kenny Atkinson didn’t erase his drawing board and reconfigure his rotations in the middle of last season when everything was going exactly as planned. Hunter was cementing an already strong bench — and Strus was complementing a starting lineup that was crushing opponents.
Hindsight tells us this was a mistake.
The Strus starting-five finished in the 67th percentile for Net Rating. That’s fairly underwhelming for a team that won 64 games. Meanwhile, Hunter, next to the core-four was perfect, placing in the 100th percentile in only 73 possessions.
It was a mistake not to tap deeper into that lineup. How much of their success would translate to a larger sample size? They certainly would have fallen below the 100th percentile — but they’d likely still be elite. Exploring fewer than 100 possessions with this lineup together was a fatal mistake.
Next season can’t afford the same mistake. Hunter makes too much sense as the ‘finishing touch’ to stay on the bench. Maybe this road leads to a dead end — and maybe Strus will ultimately return to the fray as the starter. But not having an answer to this would be unacceptable.
A full year of Hunter being in Cleveland should bring clarity. They’ll be able to work with him in training camp and the early stages of the season to find the best fit. It won’t be as hectic as his mid-season arrival that came during a historic run for the franchise.
The Cavs have remained patient with every move they’ve made. It makes sense that they followed the same line of thinking with Hunter. But there’s no more time for caution. It’s time to throw everything at the wall and find what sticks. Hunter needs to be optimized as a starter next season.