The Cleveland Cavaliers enter a pivotal 2025-26 season, where it’s time for the current iteration of the team to take advantage of a weakened Eastern Conference and make an NBA Finals run for the first time since LeBron James was still on the team.
They certainly have the roster to do so, littered with star power up and down the lineup, including Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland.
But forward De’Andre Hunter, whom Cleveland acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks midseason in 2024-25, figures to be a key piece to the Cavaliers’ contention this year and has been receiving comparisons to Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, for his defensive tenacity and offensive efficiency.
Could a big year from the seven-year veteran propel Cleveland to new heights?
Larry Nance Jr. Calls It as He Sees It
The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their preseason on Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls, losing a tight contest 118-117.
Regardless of the final score, though, it won’t take away from Hunter’s performance. The University of Virginia product saw 18 minutes of action on the floor, shooting 77.7% on nine shots, tallying 17 points, and seven rebounds.
Teammate Larry Nance Jr. raved about Hunter after the game.
“That looked like Kawhi Leonard to me. Dre is a bucket, man. He’s looked awesome and I’m excited for a huge year from him,” Nance told News 5 Cleveland’s Camryn Justice.
“I tried to shake his hand to see if I could get some of that good juju.”
When asked about what went into his dominant preseason performance, Hunter stayed modest and pointed to his offseason preparation.
“Just confidence. I put in a lot of work this offseason and just really confident in myself.”
Cavs Will Need a Big Season Out of Hunter
With wing Max Strus expected to miss the first half of the season with a foot injury, and point guard Darius Garland sidelined with a neck injury to start the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be relying heavily on Hunter to shoulder some of the offensive burden alongside Donovan Mitchell.
Since arriving in the trade that shipped Georges Niang, Caris LeVert, and draft capital out of Cleveland, Hunter has averaged 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds on almost 60% shooting in 27 regular-season games.
That production dipped to 11 points and 3.6 rebounds on 52.4% shooting in the playoffs, which was a contributing factor to the Cavs getting bounced in the second round by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.
“I think we just weren’t mentally ready,” Hunter said about last year’s playoff loss at Cavs media day.
“Obviously, we had injuries and things like that, and other teams did as well, so you can’t really use that as an excuse. But I just think mentally, we weren’t mentally tough in that series.”
“I think you have to go through something like that to really test you to see where you’re at. And I think that series showed that we’re not there yet, and I think that’s how you build mental toughness by going through a situation that’s similar, not getting over it and coming back and getting over that hump. That’s how you do it.”
The Cavaliers will look to rectify previous postseason disappointments this year, as they currently boast the best odds of any team to come out of the Eastern Conference and play in June 2026’s NBA Finals.
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