De'Andre Hunter's Top Landing Spots amid Hawks Trade Buzz in NBA Free Agency 2024

The Atlanta Hawks have been active the entire offseason, but De'Andre Hunter has surprisingly stood pat.

Hunter, the fourth pick of the 2019 NBA draft, has spent his first five seasons in Atlanta. While he never developed into the type of co-star next to Trae Young the Hawks hoped, he's developed into a reliable 3-and-D wing and has been long been subject to trade speculation.

Hunter averaged 15.6 points and 3.9 rebounds during the 2023-24 season, knocking down 38.5 percent of his threes while starting in 37 games.

While we've reached the doldrum period of the NBA calendar, let's take a look at the potential Hunter market that could form between now and Opening Night.

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Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have been desperate to make a splash all summer after missing out on Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan and essentially every potential target on the open market. Hunter isn't going to suddenly change their championship trajectory, but he's a near-perfect fit on the perimeter.

While Trae Young is a stellar passer and makes Hunter's life easier, he's never played with a player with LeBron James' gravity. The veteran's three-point percentage could kick up all the way into the 40 percent mark if he found himself in Los Angeles.

Hunter began a four-year, $90 million contract last season, which isn't much above the market for a player with his skill sets. Given the financial constraints of the new collective bargaining agreement, we're going to see teams becoming increasingly careful about which players receive big long-term commitments.

The Lakers went swinging for big fish, but Hunter could be a medium one out of the same pond.

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Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have been determined to keep their roster intact this offseason, signing Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen to long-term contract extensions and making no other major changes.

The front office's stance is seemingly that the problem lied with coach JB Bickerstaff and injuries. Cleveland fired Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson as his replacement, which was the most noteworthy move for a team that flamed out in Round 1.

Adding Hunter would not represent a seismic change but a potentially necessary one. Isaac Okoro is an improved shooter, but defenses still don't respect him or his scoring prowess enough on the perimeter. Hunter could essentially slide into Okoro's role and add an upgrade on the offensive end, even if Okoro is a better perimeter defender.

When you're talking adding on the margins, these types of moves don't make many headlines but they do make a difference in the postseason.

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San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs need competent basketball players. It's as simple as that. That's why Chris Paul is now plying his trade in San Antonio.

The Spurs are ready to start building an actual basketball team around Victor Wembanyama, and Hunter is the exact type of player who has always thrived under coach Gregg Popovich. San Antonio also has money to spend and a couple assets it could throw Atlanta's way to make the trade seem palatable.

Similar potential options include the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, all of whom could kick the tires on Hunter in the coming weeks. We just like the idea of Wemby having better teammates as he begins his ascent.