Changes have been in the works for weeks as Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry searched for opportunities to reconstruct an imbalanced roster ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
Perry made his first move late Saturday night, agreeing to a deal that will bring De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento as part of a three-team trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.
League sources told The Sacramento Bee the Kings are sending Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to Cleveland in exchange for Hunter. The Bulls will receive Dario Saric and a 2029 second-round draft pick from Sacramento. Sources said that draft pick — the one the Kings acquired in a sign-and-trade deal for Schroder last summer — will be conveyed as the least favorable pick from the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks.
Hunter, 28, is a 6-foot-7, 221-pound forward who possesses exceptional length with a 7-2 wingspan. Hunter, who came out of Virginia as the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, has averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range over seven seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and Cavaliers.
Sending Schroder and Ellis to Cleveland in exchange for Hunter alleviates the logjam in the backcourt while adding size, length and another versatile defender to the frontcourt alongside Keegan Murray. The move will free up minutes for rookie first-round draft pick Nique Clifford at shooting guard while opening the door for the Kings to convert undrafted rookie center Dylan Cardwell from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract.