There's nothing like your own teammates getting you into trouble. De'Andre Hunter might be a former fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft, but at this point of his career, no one expects him to reach the heights of an NBA superstar. No one except for maybe Larry Nance Jr.
Hunter poured in 17 points in 18 minutes, shooting 7-of-9 from the field, in the preseason debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nance just couldn't help himself after the game against the Chicago Bulls was over, comparing his teammate to one of the elite scorers of this generation.
Nance joked with reporters, "That looked like Kawhi Leonard to me. ... I tried to shake his hand halfway through that second half to see if I could get some of that good juju, but it didn't work. No, Dre is a bucket. He's looked awesome and I'm excited for a huge year from him."
Larry Nance Jr on De’Andre Hunter:
— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) October 8, 2025
“That looked like Kawhi Leonard to me.”
De’Andre Hunter: “Larry is k!lling me.” 😭pic.twitter.com/bVWrr7oktu
Hunter had a good laugh when reporters relayed the message sent by Nance. The Cavaliers forward told everyone that having teammates say those kinds of comments certainly helps his confidence, which was already existent after putting in a ton of offseason work.
De'Andre Hunter is no Kawhi Leonard — but his Cavs impact will be impossible to ignore
Obviously, those comments were made in good spirit and no one in Cleveland will actually be holding Hunter to the standard of a superstar like Leonard. However, the Cavaliers will definitely need his impact in the upcoming championship pursuit.
There are still plenty of questions regarding how Hunter fits best with this roster. The Cavaliers forward has been at his best when coming off the bench in the NBA. Despite that, he made it crystal clear that being a permanent member of the starting lineup in Cleveland is his preference.
The concern with Hunter starting would be whether there are enough shots to go around, allowing him to be at his best on offense. Right now, with Darius Garland and Max Strus missing, that certainly is not an issue. The question is whether that will still be the case when everyone is healthy.
Properly integrating Hunter into the Cavaliers after acquiring him midway through the 2024-25 NBA season will be one of the key aspects to the team hitting the heights they are capable of in this campaign. Some have even started to believe the 27-year-old is a more important player to the success of Cleveland than even Jarrett Allen.
Hunter's role and contributions will be a main storyline to follow for the Cavaliers all season long. The championship formula may not hinge on him as the top factor, but it certainly does not come to pass without him being featured heavily.