For as great as the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so far in the 2024-25 regular season, their Tuesday loss to the Boston Celtics maybe highlighted that they still have room for improvement with Thursday’s trade deadline imminent.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently rattled off names of numerous players that the Cavaliers have expressed interest in leading up to the deadline, and among them is Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter. Hunter is in the mix to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, as he’s averaging 18.9 points per game across 36 appearances and only three starts this season.
But he isn’t the only one Cavs fans should be keeping an eye on.
“Multiple sources tell cleveland.com that the Cavaliers have expressed interest in Hawks sixth man De’Andre Hunter,” Fedor wrote. “Those talks with Atlanta, sources say, are centered on free-agent-to-be Caris LeVert — a fixture of Cleveland’s every-night rotation and a Kenny Atkinson favorite, going back to their days together with the Brooklyn Nets.
“There are other players that the Cavaliers have, at the very least, checked in on, sources say, including Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson, Portland’s Jerami Grant, [New Orleans] Pelicans part-time starter Javonte Green, Charlotte’s Cody Martin, Toronto’s Chris Boucher, San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie, Indiana’s Obi Toppin (although the [Indiana] Pacers are No. 4 in the East) and Phoenix veteran Royce O’Neale — if the [Phoenix] Suns shake up their roster, trade Kevin Durant and are willing to offload other pieces.”
Fedor reported that Cleveland’s front office is also weighing making a smaller trade or two and claimed it’s possible the team deals for a big man to bolster its depth at the position.
“Sources say the front office is exploring the possibility of a smaller move or two around the margins as well, using a couple lower-salaried players as the pathway to a minor deal,” Fedor wrote. “Another big to provide depth and insurance is a possibility.”
Players like Hunter, Johnson and Grant are among the flashiest names listed by Fedor. However, they aren’t the only impact players in question.
Boucher stands out as someone who could strengthen the Cavaliers in the frontcourt. Boucher has long been a solid backup big for the Toronto Raptors and is playing some of the better basketball of his career this season.
He’s averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots per contest in the 2024-25 regular season. Boucher also has an impressive ability to stretch the floor on offense for his size, considering he’s shooting 37.5 percent from deep in his seventh season in Toronto.
Toppin is another talented frontcourt piece mentioned by Fedor as someone the Cavaliers have done their due diligence on. Like Boucher, he has been a productive bench piece this season, though he plays for a much better Pacers team.
Fedor listed off so many solid NBA players, and it should be interesting to see whether any of them end up getting dealt to Cleveland. The Cavaliers will participate in their final game before the deadline when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Detroit has a record of 25-25 on the season.
