CLEVELAND, Ohio – “Fail quickly.”
That’s one of the sayings of Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cavs.
It means when you realize something is a mistake, try to correct it as quickly as possible. Don’t hang on to it simply hoping it will improve when there is no legitimate reason to believe that will happen.
That’s part of what drove the Cavs to trade De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.
It was almost a year ago – Feb. 7, 2025 – that the Cavs traded Georges Niang, Caris LeVert and three second-round picks to Atlanta for Hunter.
The Cavs were excited by the deal, believing Hunter would be an excellent fit at small forward. The 6-foot-7 Hunter was averaging 19 points, shooting 46% from the field and 39% from the 3-point line.
After the trade, Hunter played well for the Cavs coming off the bench: 49% shooting (42% on 3-pointers) while averaging 14 points per game in 25 minutes.
He had some minor injuries during the playoffs and averaged only 11 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Utah Jazz, January 12, 2026
De'Andre Hunter had problems fitting in with the Cavs. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Big plans, big disappointment
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson was excited to have Hunter for training camp before this season. With Max Strus (foot surgery) out for an extended time, Atkinson planned to start Hunter in Strus’ small forward spot.
Early in the season, Atkinson used the word “clunky” to characterize the Cavs offense. That also fit Hunter, who never seemed very comfortable.
The Cavs were dumbfounded by Hunter’s decline this season. He shot 42% overall and 31% on 3-pointers, averaging 14.3 points. It was the worst season of his seven-year career.
The Cavs tried starting him, bringing him off the bench and running a lot of plays for him to shoot. At times, he showed some spark – but it was more like a sparkler, which didn’t last long.
The Cavs had a minus-20 points in the plus/minus stats with him on the court. Only Darius Garland (minus-40) and rookie Tyrese Proctor (minus-51) are worse. Other internal stats showed how the Cavs often were a bad team when Hunter was on the court.
Furthermore, Hunter has an expensive contract, given his production: $23 million in 2025-26 and $25 million in 2026-27.
That led to a major effort to trade him, rather than wait to see if things would change for the better.
It was a wise move, following Gilbert’s motto of if you are going to fail, “fail quickly.”
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, January 28, 2026
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was never able to find the right role for De'Andre Hunter to thrive this season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The deal, a year later
The two players traded by the Cavs for Hunter have not done much.
Niang is with Utah. He’s missed the entire season due to a foot injury.
LeVert is a favorite of former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. LeVert became a free agent last summer and signed with Detroit, where Bickerstaff is the coach.
This season, he’s averaging 7.9 points, shooting 43% from the field (34% on 3-pointers). He has missed 17 games due to injuries.
Follow the money
The trade wasn’t simply made to help the payroll and the luxury-tax situation. Adding Schroder and Ellis are positive additions to the roster.
But first, the money:
1. Schroder makes $14 million and Ellis is at $2.3 million. That’s a saving of $7 million compared to Hunter’s $23.3 million salary.
2. A bigger factor is the luxury tax. This cuts the bill from about $164 million to about $120 million. The Cavs went into the season with the highest payroll in the NBA.
3. The Cavs are still in the “second apron,” which makes it harder to execute trades and also hits teams with massive luxury tax bills.
4. Gilbert and the Cavs are willing to spend big, but they also want production. Hunter wasn’t delivering that. He also was in a bit of a funk with the Cavs. He seemed uncomfortable all season.
5. Schroder’s contract is $14 million this season, $14.8 million in 2026-27 and $15 million in 2027-28 ($4.3 million guaranteed). Ellis will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, January 28, 2026
The rise of Jaylon Tyson made De'Andre Hunter expendable. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
On the court
The Cavs are finding a new identity, more aggressive on defense – and more driving to the rim and getting the ball inside to their big men.
They also are relying more on their younger players. Jaylon Tyson has a chance to become a star. Craig Porter Jr. and Nae’Qwan Tomlin are energy players coming off the bench.
Sam Merrill has moved into the starting lineup at shooting guard. He’s averaging 13.6 points, shooting 46% from both the field and 3-point range. He’s battling wrist injuries. The Cavs have an 18-9 record when Merrill plays. They are 12-12 when he’s been out.
The Cavs have won 8 of their last 10 games – and 12 of their last 17 games. Atkinson and his coaching staff deserve credit for developing the younger players and adjusting to an onslaught of injuries.
Cleveland has had 24 different starting lineups. The Cavs still shoot a lot of 3-pointers, but that’s no longer the heart and soul of the offense. They are quicker and more athletic, especially as Tomlin, Porter and Tyson have had their playing time increased.
Kings 76ers Basketball
Keon Ellis will bring some athleticism to the Cavs. AP
Help on the way
The Hunter trade was not simply a salary dump.
The Schroder addition could have a major impact. Some critics of the deal have said, “How does he fit when Darius Garland is healthy?”
A better question is, “Why do you think Garland will remain healthy this season?”
The point guard had major turf toe surgery on his left foot last summer. He came back, but now has been out with an injury to his right foot. It’s not supposed to be serious, but we’ll see.
The Cavs are 13-13 when Garland plays this season, 17-8 when he’s been out. His defensive stats are awful. His plus/minus is a minus-40. That’s the worst of any of the Cavs regular players.
The 32-year-old Schroder can supply depth in the backcourt. He can handle the ball against full-court pressure. The Cavs struggled with that when they were knocked out of the playoffs vs. Indiana in 2025.
The 6-foot-1 Schroder is averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 assists, shooting 41% from the field and 34% on 3-pointers. He’s an aggressive guard, both driving to the rim and on defense.
Schroder has appeared in 74 playoff games, averaging 12 points. He averaged 14.9 points for Detroit when the Pistons faced the Knicks last season in the playoffs.
The 32-year-old guard is now on his 11th team. Obviously, he rubs some people the wrong way. He was suspended for three games earlier this season for approaching the Lakers’ Luka Doncic after the game. Schroder wanted to continue a heated argument the two players had during the game.
Atkinson knows him well. They were together for three years when Schroder was with the Hawks and Atkinson was an Atlanta assistant coach. Atkinson pushed hard for Schroder to be part of the trade.
In some ways, Schroder reminds me of former Cavalier Jordan Clarkson – a guard coming off the bench with zest and looking to score. Atkinson hasn’t said so, but he pictures Schroder in a Ty Jerome role.
Schroder can also take some of the ball-handling burden off of Donovan Mitchell. That was something Lonzo Ball was supposed to do, but the veteran guard acquired in the offseason has been a major disappointment. The Cavs also are looking to trade him.
Last season, Jerome was the tough-minded scoring guard coming off the bench. He signed with Memphis as a free agent in the offseason. He missed the first 46 games of this season due to a calf injury.
Ellis is a 6-foot-4 gritty defender. The Cavs see him a little like Isaac Okoro. Part of this trade was to continue the Cavs’ quest to be a more rugged and physical team.
Fail quickly?
Sort of. But more importantly, the Cavs are working hard to change that with this bold move, and the front office deserves credit for that.