With Max Strus' unfortunate injury ahead of the 2025-26 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are placing De'Andre Hunter in a starting role after his first full offseason with the team.
Last season, the Cavs acquired Hunter hours before the trade deadline buzzed, adding one of the league's best bench scorers that year to the roster. Hunter, drafted one spot ahead of Darius Garland in the 2019 NBA Draft, has built a career as one of the NBA's premier 3-and-D combo forwards. With a career three-point percentage of 37.3 percent, his volume shooting mixed with elite athleticism makes him a powerful offensive weapon.
In the Cavaliers' starting five, the coaching staff will get an extended look at what Hunter could provide as the full-time starting small forward if he stays in that slot after Strus' return. Entering his age 28 season, Hunter is approaching his peak years as an NBA talent, and after an early Sixth Man of the Year campaign with the Atlanta Hawks last year, his potential with the Cavs could launch the veteran wing into an entirely new caliber of player.
At the start of the year, Hunter will join Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley as the three most prominent scorers on the roster. While Hunter wll not be the Cavs' go-to scoring engine or playmaker, he will play an integral role that could lead to an unlikely accolade a former Cavalier once earned.
De'Andre Hunter could have an Andrew Wiggins All-Star season
In the 2021-22 season, the Golden State Warriors earned two All-Star nominations. The Warriors' greatest of all time, Stephen Curry, was an obvious addition, but his co-star Klay Thompson was absent. Instead, former first-overall pick Andrew Wiggins joined Curry for his lone All-Star game.
Wiggins' inclusion to the starting roster was a surprise among the league, but importance to the soon-to-be 2022 NBA Champion was undeniable. That season, Wiggins averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 39.3 percent from deep. While he was never leading the Warriors' offense, he was one of the team's most reliable play finishers.
The former Cavs draft pick shot an effective field goal percentage of 54.3 percent, setting a high standard of efficiency as both a long-range marksman and slashing powerhouse. Wiggins provided scoring versatility with the Warriors that they had not seen from a small forward since Kevin Durant.
Among the Warriors' ranks that season was none other than current Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson. Known for his player development and offensive ingenuity, Atkinson helped elevate Wiggins to an All-Star level as Steve Kerr's second-in-command.
With Garland out of commission for a while, Hunter will slide into an important role for the Cavs' offense. Mitchell and Mobley will be the primary offensive hubs, but Hunter will be a necessary release valve who can knock down an open last-second shot or score through contact on timely drives.
Similarly to Wiggins' Golden State run, Hunter offers the Cavaliers reliable two-way production, scoring seemingly at will and using his strength to force defensive assignments into contested jumpers at the end of the shot clock.
Wiggins was never Golden State's leading star and was never taking over games instead of Curry. At the time, his inclusion to the All-Star roster seemed like a glitch in the NBA Matrix. Months later, Wiggins was the Warriors' second-best player in the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. Despite being mocked for his All-Star appearance, Wiggins was instrumental in bringing a ring to The Bay.
De'Andre Hunter will certainly not outscore Mitchell with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is not going to be the Cavs' best defender like Mobley, but his widespread talents and proven efficient production could catapult Hunter into All-Star considerations under Atkinson's system built on the same basketball philosophy that gave Wiggins the nod.