De'Andre Hunter has been at his best in the NBA when given the freedom to operate as a sixth man and do damage off the bench. Unfortunately for him and the Cleveland Cavaliers, that is just not the role they can afford to put him in from the beginning of the new 2025-26 NBA season.
The offseason injury to Max Strus will force him out for a large chunk of the new campaign. The expectation for when the Cavaliers sharpshooter will return is being projected for December. That absence thins out the wings a good deal for Cleveland.
That could mean the Cavaliers pursue a free agent to help fill the void. They could also look towards the trade market for a boost. In the event neither of those two things happen, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com offered a glimpse as to what the starting lineup will look like early on.
Pluto wrote, "Sam Merrill is expected to start. Just as is the case with Hunter at small forward, nothing has been announced. But in their pickup games, the Cavs have been looking at a lineup with Donovan Mitchell at point guard, Merrill at shooting guard and the big three across the front line."
De'Andre Hunter needs to return to Cavaliers bench as soon as possible
The best thing the Atlanta Hawks ever did for Hunter, apart from trading him to the Cavaliers, was shift him to the bench. It allowed the former Hawks forward to run his brand of offense more and not be limited to what suited Trae Young best.
When operating as the sixth man, Hunter can be afforded more opportunities to play his post-up offense while bringing the rest of the offensive package that makes him a strong inclusion to any lineup. It is difficult to envision the regularity of those plays being called for Hunter when Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley will be taking priority.
The Cavaliers forward has played 246 games in his career as a starter. In those instances, Hunter has averaged 14.4 points per game, shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, equating to a true shooting percentage of 56.0.
When shifting to the bench, the statistics are noticeably better. Hunter averages 16.0 points per game, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from distance, adding up to a true shooting percentage of 61.5 percent.
The Cavaliers surely must know this. Kenny Atkinson can still attempt to manage the minutes in a way that Hunter is allowed to lead the second unit and get the opportunity to shine. However, at the nearest availability, Cleveland really should make a conscious effort to position their talented forward back to the sixth man spot that had voters questioning if there was anyone better at that role.