The Los Angeles Lakers did not trade for De'Andre Hunter because they had already lost interest in pursuing a deal, with discussions cooling off and the trade effectively dead before he was moved to the Kings.
The Los Angeles Lakers' pursuit of forward De'Andre Hunter is officially over.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Cavaliers have traded Hunter to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal that sent Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to Cleveland, closing the door on any potential move to Los Angeles.
While the Lakers have been searching for a 3-and-D upgrade ahead of the February 5 trade deadline, two players they were reportedly interested in – Hunter and Ellis – have now changed teams without landing in LA.
Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin reported that it became clear over the weekend that Los Angeles had cooled on Hunter. By Friday night, Irwin was told the potential deal had been dead for some time.
Earlier discussions between the Lakers and Cavaliers centered on a trade package that would have sent Rui Hachimura and rookie Dalton Knecht to Cleveland in exchange for Hunter, as first reported by Cleveland.com. Ultimately, those talks never progressed.
Hunter, 28, averaged 14.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in his second season with the Cavs after spending six years with the Atlanta Hawks.
However, his shooting struggles this season likely played a role in the Lakers backing off. He is shooting 42.3 percent from the field and just 30.8 percent from three-point range.
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