Cavaliers hope De'Andre Hunter trade finally solves their small forward problem

Cleveland swapped Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and several picks to get former No. 4 pick De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. It's the most recent move in a multiyear effort from Cleveland to figure out a fifth player to go alongside All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Two of those prospective players in the past were LeVert and Niang. Adding to the wing position has been a continuing theme in the Cavaliers' transactions. They've devoted picks, cash and years in finding the right small forward.

In 2020, they used the No. 5 pick in the draft on Isaac Okoro, who is a strong defender but his offensive skills are so limited he can barely shoot off the dribble. In January 2021, they acquired LeVert as part of the trade that brought in Allen, then re-signed him in the summer of 2023. That's the same summer where they signed small forward Niang and added small forward Max Strus in a sign-and-trade deal.

Now, Hunter is their latest attempt to solve the small forward issue. He's averaging 19 points and shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range in what's been the best offensive season of his career. While Hunter is a poor rebounder, that's less of an issue next to Mobley and Allen. He never quite lived up to his college reputation as a defensive stopper, but he has great size at 6-foot-8, perfect to match up against the Celtics star forwards.

But it's still hard to believe that Hunter is the player to succeed where Cleveland's other transactions have fallen short. Hunter, Strus and Okoro are a nice collection of players to mix and match at the wings, especially next to Cleveland's small guards. It still feels like the Cavs are grasping for a solution they might never quite achieve.