Illness has kept players out of recent games. Donovan Mitchell, Craig Porter Jr., and Lonzo Ball have all missed time with various illnesses.
It has been a difficult season for Hunter. He was given a chance to be in the starting lineup, but has struggled to make the most of the opportunity. The outside shot hasn’t fallen as it has in the past, which has impacted his effectiveness on both ends of the floor. This has led to him being recently moved to the bench.
Despite the struggles, Hunter is coming off one of his most productive games of the season. He provided nine big rebounds and 14 points in the team’s much-needed road win over the San Antonio Spurs.
On the season, Hunter is averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on .425/.314/.856 shooting splits.
Cleveland will also be without Max Strus (foot), Larry Nance Jr. (calf), Luke Travers (G League), and Chris Livingston (G League).
Sam Merrill will play. He was dealing with hip soreness and was previously listed as probable on the initial injury report for Wednesday’s game.
The Suns will be playing without Grayson Allen (knee) and Jalen Green (hamstring). Ryan Dunn (knee) and Jordan Goodwin (jaw) will be available to play.