The Cleveland Cavaliers are caught in rumors that say they are interested in acquiring Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter. With only a few days remaining before the NBA trade deadline, the Cavaliers, along with some other NBA teams, are trying to secure trade deals and finalize their respective rosters heading into the second half of the 2024-25 regular season.
NBA insider Michael Sotto reported on Tuesday that the Cavs are interested in trading for the Hawks swingman who, according to Sportrac, has an annual average salary of $22,500,000.
The Cavaliers currently have a luxury tax problem; they are over the payroll limit, and exceeding the tax could prove detrimental to them next season. That is why they need to be under the tax before the trade deadline.
Cleveland is currently the best team in the NBA this season, with a 40-9 record heading into the second half, proving that they have a strong roster at the moment. It is still unknown which player they are willing to let go of for Hunter (if the rumors are true) by the end of the deadline, but they need to be careful about who they choose to move because they might disrupt the ongoing synergy of their team.
Cleveland Cavaliers reveal their ‘untouchables’ before the trade deadline
SNY’s NBA insider Ian Begley reported that despite their luxury tax issues, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not interested in letting go of Georges Niang. Begley added that the Cavs already have someone in mind they are willing to let go to get under the tax but have yet to publicly identify him.
“The Cavs may move a player at the deadline to get under a luxury tax,” Begley wrote. “They have signaled to teams that they have no interest in moving Georges Niang to get under that tax. They have other avenues to shed salary, of course.”
Darius Garland is another member of the roster that the Cavs are not willing to let go. He is one of the three All-Stars selected from the Cavs roster this year, alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
The San Antonio Spurs contacted the Cavaliers during the 2024 offseason to inquire about Garland’s availability. However, the Cavs did not show interest in making a deal happen.
Being that they are currently the best team in the league, it is highly unlikely that the Cleveland Cavaliers will trade any of their players. Then again, with the surprise superstar swap between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Lakers for Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, anything can happen before the trade deadline.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
