On the afternoon of Thursday February 6th the news broke that the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for the Atlanta Hawks forward D’Andre Hunter. The Cavaliers sent Caris LeVert, George Niang, three second round picks and two pick swaps to finalize the deal. LeVert was productive for the Cavaliers coming off the bench, but he was on the last year of his contract. Hunter is also considered an upgrade as a rotational player. The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the best record in the NBA at 41-10. With this trade they were able to improve their roster.

D’Andre Hunter was a college teammate of Ty Jerome when they won the 2019 National Championship at the University of Virginia. The Atlanta Hawks took D’Andre Hunter with the 4th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has not played up to the expectations of a top 5 draft pick. The 27-year-old forward has been averaging 19 points a game for the Hawks this season. He has been his most productive this season with the Hawks. In his previous years he averaged between 13-15 points a game. The big question is how will he fit into this potent Cleveland Cavaliers offense?

Most experts and pundits think this is an ideal fit for Hunter and the Cavaliers. Most experts have graded the trade from a B+ to an A-. This deal doesn’t guarantee the Cavaliers a second NBA championship. But it certainly brings them closer to it. The NBA trade deadline expired on Thursday February 6th at 3 pm eastern time.  It is good sign to see a team be proactive on improving despite having the leagues best record. Finding ways to get better is a mark of a champion. And for Cleveland Cavaliers fans they are hoping for a two-time NBA Champion.