The NBA trade deadline picked up midday on Thursday, with the day headlined by the Cleveland Cavaliers making a notable deal to help them hopefully stay atop the East.
According to Shams Charania, the Cavaliers acquired De’Andre Hunter for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps.
Hunter, averaging 19.0 points on 46 percent shooting four starts this season, will get a starting role in Cleveland. On January 27, he scored a season-high 35 points on 12-for-21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and has reached 20 points 21 times this season.
At 6’8, 225, he is a strong wing who can shoot from downtown (39 percent) and defend. At 41-10, the Cavaliers have a five game lead on the 36-15 Boston Celtics.
In LeVert, the Hawks receive a playmaking, scoring guard who is shifty and can fill it up. LeVert is averaging 10.2 points on 45 percent shooting in 24 minutes per game this season. In 2020-21, he averaged 20.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds on 44 percent shooting in 39 combined starts with the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers. Niang is a quality 3-point shooter.
The Hawks also dealt Bogdan Bogdanovic and three second-round picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland. Hyland is a playmaking guard and Mann is a talented wing who saw his minutes per game dip under 20 (19.8), while averaging five shot attempts per game. Bogdanovic, an electric offensive player who can shoot, will help the Clippers in a big way. He has played just 24 games with zero starts, averaging 10.0 points. Last season, he shot 43 percent and averaged 16.9 points.
The Phoenix Suns dealt big man Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a second-round pick in 2026.
Nurkic became expendable when the Suns picked up center Nick Richards from the Hornets, and is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds in 24 minutes per game. The deal, if the Suns do not retain Martin and Micic next season, will save the Suns over $120 million over this season and next.
In other deals, the Detroit Pistons acquired Dennis Schroder for K.J. Martin, Josh Richardson, and a second-round pick, the Hawks traded Cody Zeller and the Houston Rockets’ 2028 second round pick to the Rockets, the Clippers traded Kevin Porter Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks for MarJon Beauchamp, the Indiana Pacers traded James Wiseman and cash to the Toronto Raptors, and the Memphis Grizzlies dealt Marcus Smart and a 2025 first round pick to the Washington Wizards for two second round picks, with Marvin Bagley III going to Memphis.
Smart likely would be a buyout candidate with the Wizards as his skills and what he offers fits a contender.
With Schroder, the surprising Pistons (25-26, 7th in the East) get a tough-minded, defensive guard with scoring ability. He is a definite upgrade to backup star Cade Cunningham.
The end of the deadline means that Kevin Durant is staying in Phoenix, but with reports circulating that there was some discontent in the Suns’ locker room, it would not be a stretch to say that the 15-time all-star will be traded in the off-season. It is also worth noting and wondering whether Hawk star Trae Young has a future in Atlanta as well.
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