The Cleveland Cavaliers made a massive statement before the 2025-26 regular season: they were willing to pick up the tab on this expensive roster in hopes of a championship pursuit. That commitment looks worse by the day. De'Andre Hunter is right at the epicenter of that.
Cleveland gave up a considerable haul to pry Hunter away from the Atlanta Hawks. That maneuver included taking on what was left of his four-year, $90 million rookie extension that was signed with his old franchise.
The immediate returns were encouraging. Hunter averaged 14.3 points per game, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc during 2024-25 for the Cavs. That made his large $21.7 million hit to the financial books worth it.
Fast-forward to 2025-26 and that sentiment has not remained. Hunter is being paid $23.3 million this season. That number will go up to $24.9 million in the 2026-27 campaign. For a team that is not over the second apron, that could be easier to ignore. For the Cavaliers, those financial figures are brutal.
De'Andre Hunter's contract is growing uglier by the day for the Cavs
A lot of Hunter's counting stats have remained on par with the early run last year in Cleveland. So, what has suddenly made his dollar value much harder to defend?
For starters, it would be the efficiency. Hunter has seen a massive drop-off in how effectively the Cavs forward is able to find the bottom of the bucket. Considering that is the main appeal of his price tag, that's a massive problem.
His field goal percentage, 3-point mark, and true shooting percentage have all dipped. After lobbying for a move to the starting lineup, Hunter was unable to reinforce why he should be there. The 28-year-old has shifted back to the bench unit recently.
Kenny Atkinson had previously hinted that was in an attempt to balance out the production from the bench and starters. There could be some truth to that. The Cavs have one of the worst bench units in the NBA when it comes to scoring.
The other part of that equation that was likely considered? Defense.
Hunter has been one of the worst offenders contributing to the Cavaliers' regression on the defensive end of the basketball court. The low lows of the Hunter experience has started conversations of whether the trade to acquire him was even worth it in the first place.
If the Cavaliers' freefall continues, and the high-priced forward continues to struggle, Cleveland will face tough questions before the NBA trade deadline. That could include where they send their former Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the remainder of his current contract.