NBA Exec: De'Andre Hunter 'Could Be the Missing Piece' for Cavs After Hawks Trade

At least one rival NBA executive seems to believe De'Andre Hunter was just the addition the Cleveland Cavaliers need to go on a title run this spring.

"They've been hunting size on the wing to match up with the Celtics and OKC and [other contenders]," the anonymous Western Conference executive told ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "If he stays healthy, he could be the missing piece."

The Cavs acquired Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday in exchange for a package including draft capital and Caris LeVert.

The Cavaliers leaned heavily on injured forward Dean Wade throughout the first half of the season. More than half of the team's 10 losses this season have come without Wade in the lineup.

That may be part of the reason the Cavs, who headed into the trade deadline on top of the East with an NBA-high 41 wins, were looking to add size on the perimeter for the run-up to the playoffs.

The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported in mid-January that the Cavaliers were looking to address the issue, exposed by matchups with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, of "size and physicality on the perimeter."

As Vardon noted, the Cavaliers believed they could use additional size to add to a court staffed by 6-foot-2 Darius Garland and 6-foot-3 Darius Mitchell.

Hunter, 6-foot-8, averaged a career-high 19.0 points while shooting a personal-best 39.3 percent from deep through 37 games with the Hawks. He has also provided the kind of physical perimeter defense the Cavs have reportedly been looking for.

By swapping out LeVert for Hunter, the Cavs have addressed a roster weakness while potentially upping how much production they can get from their sixth man.

As the Western Conference executive told Bontemps, however, how much Hunter is able to impact the Cavaliers going forward will depend on his health and availability. Hunter has only played at least 60 games in a season twice in his six-year NBA career, and he's already missed time this season due to right knee injury management.

If he is able to stay in the lineup, however, Hunter could provide the Cavs with a boost off the bench as the team looks to finish the season on top of the conference standings.