The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for De'Andre Hunter at last year's Trade Deadline. It was a move that hasn't paid off for the Cavaliers yet -- but that allowed the Atlanta Hawks to level up this offseason and become a contender in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers made a good value trade in February to bring aboard the former No. 4 pick. Caris LeVert was a beloved member of the team but his skillset was redundant with Cleveland's best players. Georges Niang was likewise loved and a great culture setter, but his lack of defense and athleticism was going to excise him from the playoff rotation.
With LeVert on an expiring contract, he had the ability to walk in free agency this season, and the Cavaliers would not have had the financial flexibility to replace him. Koby Altman therefore flipped those two players and some low-level draft capital for Hunter. In the midst of an excellent season off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks, Hunter was a high-volume shooter with size to slot into their forward rotation. The deal was a good value for the Cavs and made a lot of sense.
With Hunter the Cavaliers were more balanced and better equipped for a deep postseason run. That run was halted prematurely by the Indiana Pacers, in equal parts because of Darius Garland being injured, shot variance tilting against the Cavaliers, and the Pacers being awesome and punking everyone they faced. It was a disappointing end, and to the extent that Cleveland pushed in chips for last season, the bet didn't pay off.
This summer, the contract of Hunter was locked into their books, ensuring they would operate above the second tax apron. The front office kept the roster largely intact, swapping out Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome for Lonzo Ball, Tyrese Proctor and Larry Nance Jr. You can make a case for that being an overall positive or negative for Cleveland.
What also happened with that deadline deal, however, was that things changed for the Atlanta Hawks -- and in a way that could matter to Cleveland's chances at winning the Eastern Conference this season.
The Hawks used the Hunter trade to level up
The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the big winners of the NBA offseason, and especially in the Eastern Conference. They fleeced the New Orleans Pelicans in a draft night trade, added Kristaps Porzingis to level up their center rotation, and are in line to get back multiple key players who were not healthy a season ago.
Perhaps their most important move for this season was winning the sweepstakes to sign Nickeil Alexander-Walker, perhaps the premier free agent to change teams this summer. The combo guard has developed into an elite defender and capable offensive threat, a solid shooter and ball-handler who can fill multiple roles. He played a key rotation role on back-to-back Conference Finalists teams in Minnesota.
The Hawks were able to outbid other teams for Alexander-Walker because they turned signing him into a sign-and-trade, sending a second-round pick and cash to the Timberwolves. They had the financial flexibility to make that deal because of the room under the luxury tax they opened up by trading De'Andre Hunter.
LeVert walked in free agency and signed with the Detroit Pistons, and that meant the Hawks could add Porzingis, sign sharpshooter Luke Kennard and then have enough left to bring in Alexander-Walker. In a blink they upgraded their roster across the board and added a premium pick in 2026. It was quite the offseason for the Hawks.
Last season, the team in the Eastern Conference that the Cavaliers struggled with the most was, strangely, the Atlanta Hawks. Other than Trae Young, their rotation was filled with long, rangy defenders who gummed up the works for the Cavaliers, and their shooters got hot and overwhelmed the best team in the East.
That only figures to be more of the case this season, with Alexander-Walker and rookie Asa Newell now on board as defenders with great length. Porzingis is gigantic around the rim. The Hawks have smartly built a defensive team around one of the worst defenders in the league in Trae Young, and emphasized shooting as well. There is a lot to like about Atlanta's chances in the Eastern Conference this season.
Are they the top threat to Cleveland? Probably not. The New York Knicks have proven more, the Orlando Magic just added a star in Desmond Bane, and the Philadelphia 76ers have elite upside if Joel Embiid and Paul George are healthy. But should the Cavs be wary? Absolutely.
And if the Hawks turn out to be a monster in the East next season, it will be a monster that the Cavaliers helped to create.