NEW YORK — Cavs starting small forward De’Andre Hunter is still not ready.
Sources tell cleveland.com that Hunter, officially listed as questionable going into Friday night’s matchup against Brooklyn, will miss his second straight game because of a knee contusion suffered Oct. 14. There remains some uncertainty about Hunter’s status for Sunday — the 2025-26 home opener at Rocket Arena.
Hunter, the team’s starting small forward who was set for a bigger role this year, went through an extensive individual workout following the team’s practice at Manhattan-based Baruch College on Thursday afternoon. He also conducted another individual session Friday morning. Even though his achy knee responded well to both, Hunter isn’t quite ready to make his season debut.
The Cavs will also be without Darius Garland (toe surgery) and Max Strus (foot surgery). The two remain sidelined indefinitely.
In 27 regular season games last season with the Cavaliers, after being acquired from Atlanta in a midseason trade, Hunter averaged 17.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 47% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.