The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a best-case-scenario trade to net Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder from the Sacramento Kings
When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two first-round pick swaps to the Atlanta Hawks for De'Andre Hunter last February, it felt like they were adding a critical missing piece that could help them make a deep playoff run.
One year later, though, the Cavs conceded that the Hunter trade simply did not work out, flipping the versatile wing to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team deal to land journeyman guard Dennis Schröder and defensive specialist Keon Ellis.
It's an unfortunate ending to the Hunter experiment. Cleveland coveted a player with his skill set for several years and he was able to quickly make an impact upon arriving in town. That continued through the first five games of last year's playoffs, where Hunter was shooting 48% from the floor and 60% from three before dislocating his thumb against the Indiana Pacers in the first game of the second round.
After missing a game, he wasn't quite the same after that. His 2025-26 campaign began with a lot of hype around his increased role – head coach Kenny Atkinson inserted him into the starting lineup – and how a full offseason with the team would pay major dividends.
Instead, these first three months of the season have been marred by a never-ending shooting slump. Given the contract – Hunter is making $23.2 million this year and $24.9 million next year – and the fact that Cleveland is the only second-apron team in the NBA, it was no longer worth waiting to see if he'd snap out of it.
Acquiring Schröder and Ellis feels like a best-case scenario parachute out of the De'Andre Hunter business. The move saves the Cavs $50 million in payroll and luxury tax. They're now just a few additional moves away from getting underneath the extremely prohibitive second apron entirely. Keep an eye out for a Lonzo Ball move, next.
In the meantime, there are reasons why both new additions can also be key role players in the Cavaliers' postseason pursuits. Schröder is an irritant who could certainly become the first ball-handler off the bench when Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland (once healthy) needs to catch their breath.
Everyone questions the Cavs' toughness and mental fortitude; Schröder should help with that. He has no fear of attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. He's not much of a floor stretcher but will pull the trigger from deep when necessary.
Ellis, meanwhile, is the bigger prize of the deal, and also brings an edge to Cleveland. His specialty is on the defensive end, where his ability to get a hand into passing lanes and create turnovers is well-documented.
For a Cavaliers team that has lacked effort on that end of the floor at times, his energy and consistent motor will be immensely valuable.
The 26-year-old has also developed into a pretty reliable three-point shooter during his first few years in the league, granted, this year those numbers are down a bit where he's knocking down threes at a 38% clip.
The Wine and Gold will hope he can get back to the 43% rate he shot last year. He's also on an expiring contract, which, again, helps with Cleveland's second apron problem and leaves them with the option to re-sign him this summer.
On the surface, this trade probably doesn't come with the same gusto as acquiring Hunter did for the Cavs a year ago. Shröder and Ellis come with intrigue, but it's all theoretical at the moment, and neither is necessarily considered the missing piece of a championship contender.
Cleveland was simply never going to be in on the rumored big splash trades out there. Despite being handcuffed by the NBA's current cap restrictions, though, Cleveland found a way to at least improve in the margins on Saturday night.
Koby Altman still has five more days before the league's trade deadline. There's likely more to come.
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