Cavaliers trade De'Andre Hunter, get back Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis

Just days before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, it almost seemed inevitable the Cavaliers were going to deal De'Andre Hunter. They pulled the trigger on a three-team deal Saturday night with Hunter going to the Sacramento Kings, guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis coming to Cleveland and the Chicago Bulls acquiring forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks. The trade was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. The 6-foot-8, 227-pound Hunter was acquired from Atlanta at the 2025 trade deadline and played well for the Cavs last season. Things went south this season. He started the season in the starting lineup but was soon benched for his lackluster play. He averaged 14 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 43 games for Cleveland. The 28-year-old Hunter shot .423 from the field, .308 from the 3-point line and .869 from the foul line. There were rumors that Hunter wanted to be traded — which he denied — but his inconsistent play has been evident for weeks. The Cavs not only fortified their backcourt, the trade also had salary cap implications. They save about $50 million in salary and luxury tax bills, ESPN reported, as it drops their tax bill from $164 million to $120 million. The deal will also drop Cleveland under the second apron next season. Ellis, 26, is known as a top perimeter defender, perhaps the best on the market. The 6-4, 175-pound shooting guard is averaging 5.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists. He has an expiring contract worth $2.3 million. He is one of two players in the NBA averaging 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes this season, joining Detroit's Ausar Thompson. The 6-1, 175-pound Schroder will provide the Cavs with a solid backup point guard behind Darius Garland, who's on the injured list with a sprained toe. Schroder is averaging 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season. The 32-year-old Schroder, a native of Germany, is making $14.1 million this season, $14.8 million in 2026-27 and $15.5 million in 2027-28. Schroder and Chicago's Tre Jones are the only players averaging 10 or more points and 5.0 or more assists off the bench. The Cavs will send the Bulls a 2027 second-round pick (from Denver), with Sacramento shipping off their second-round pick in 2029. Assuming all the players pass their physicals, Cleveland will see Hunter on Saturday when they play in Sacramento. Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.