The Cleveland Cavaliers made a massive statement before the 2025-26 regular season: they were willing to pick up the tab on this expensive roster in hopes of a championship pursuit. That commitment looks worse by the day. De'Andre Hunter is right at the epicenter of that.
Cleveland gave up a considerable haul to pry Hunter away from the Atlanta Hawks. That maneuver included taking on what was left of his four-year, $90 million rookie extension that was signed with his old franchise.
The immediate returns were encouraging. Hunter averaged 14.3 points per game, shooting 48.