After a hot start to the 2025-26 season, the Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly cooling off. The turn for the worst should not invite the type of panic move that will hurt them further. A De'Andre Hunter trade is a great example of something that could be available, but does not warrant a phone call.
Matt Moore reported, "Among the things I tend to squint skeptically at is when someone says ‘that guy wants out bad.’ ... But there’s a lot of smoke around the idea that De'Andre Hunter, or at least his representation, would prefer he be somewhere else."
The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to truly entertain the thought of moving Hunter, even if reports of his unhappiness are true. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com reported the Cavaliers are still insistent on figuring things out internally.
Fedor wrote, "Sources tell cleveland.com that team decision-makers have rebuffed trade offers to this point, including at least one for Hunter. ... There’s still belief in this group. A desire to see what it looks like at full strength — or close to it."
Even if the Cavaliers cave on their current stance, the Lakers would be better off looking elsewhere. Hunter has the name notoriety that will get fans jumping. The product that has been delivered in 2025-26 does not represent a solution to the Lakers' problems.
De'Andre Hunter's regression would only be further exposed in Los Angeles
The obvious starting point for any conversation involving Hunter would be his contract. The Cavs forward is earning $23.3 million this season, and $24.9 million in 2026-27. In this current CBA landscape, that qualifies him for being overpaid beyond his skill set.
Hunter has struggled offensively during the current campaign. The former Sixth Man of the Year candidate is shooting only 42.5 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc.
That part of his struggles are much more fixable. It's easy to argue that being supported by Luka Doncic would lead to a bounce-back in his efficiency. It's the other end of the basketball court that offers bigger concerns.
For someone of Hunter's impressive size and build, the 28-year-old has been a massive defensive liability for the Cavaliers this season. The former top-five pick has been getting torched out on the perimeter, with his engagement levels on that end being highly questionable.
Hunter holds the second worst defensive rating (115.9) on the Cavaliers. Only Darius Garland (118.1) has a worse figure in that category for Cleveland. The Cavs have also been 5.4 points better per 100 possessions, overall, without him.
No one is going to ignore just how bad the Lakers have been defensively this season. Adding yet another player who is not going to help fix the problem — and majorly cutting into your looming cap space to do so — would cause even more damage.
On the surface, Hunter is a player who may stand out to some in theory. The actual results could. and probably would, fall well short of expectations.