Everyone knows the Cleveland Cavaliers are over the second apron. De'Andre Hunter's hefty contract sticks out more than most. However, if the Cavaliers are pulling the plug on their recent acquisition in the name of saving money, that is undeniably a worst-case scenario for the team.
A similar thought was expressed by an unlikely source for Cavaliers nation. Los Angeles Lakers reporter Jovan Buha was the messenger for this important piece of dialogue regarding Hunter and Cleveland on a recent episode of his podcast.
During a Q&A session, Buha was asked if there was a chance the Cavaliers forward becomes available midseason amid the cap crunch in Cleveland. The insider was direct with his response.
Buha said, "If they get to a point where they have to shed salary he is an obvious guy. ... They did give up a lot to get him. ... He's a pretty important part of what they do."
Trading De'Andre Hunter must be a last resort for Cavaliers
The Lakers reporter was certainly not dismissive of the idea that Hunter could be available under the right circumstances. However, those would be rough scenarios for the Cavaliers.
Buha highlighted how close the Cavaliers were last season to Eastern Conference supremacy. If Cleveland jumps out to a strong lead ahead of the pack in 2025-26, ownership should be reassured of the necessary price in paying up for the second apron.
This is a situation where the Cavaliers front office cannot be one foot out the door. For the duration of the 2025-26, at the least, there needs to be an all-in approach to breaking through in the Eastern Conference.
There has been enough suggesting that is where the Cavaliers are internally. Chris Fedor highlighted a while back how Cleveland, internally, believed they had learned what they needed to from their playoff shortcomings, insisting the team is ready for a title push.
Those championship aspirations should involve a player who will be a prime candidate for Sixth Man of the Year in the upcoming season. The idea of moving Hunter during 2025-26 would either demand something going extremely right or extremely wrong.
If the Cavaliers have an undeniable upgrade available to them on the trade market that involves their bench leader, there is a case to move him. Alternatively, if the Cavaliers have underperformed expectations so much that they no longer view themselves as a contender, a deal can be justified as well.
Otherwise, Cleveland needs to confirm their investment into this core and contention window. Moving Hunter for salary-saving purposes does not reaffirm that confidence in their group.