One trade, one massive vulnerability: How dealing De’Andre Hunter left the Cavs defensively exposed against the East’s best wings
Published on March 3, 2026.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been dealing with a significant defensive vulnerability at the trade deadline, after trading De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis. The team also brought in James Harden, and Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, this move left them vulnerable against the East's best wings. Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins highlighted this vulnerability on the latest episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. He highlighted the need for a strong defensive player to guard against elite scorers like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and Jalen Brunson. If the Cavs fail to deliver a quality defense, they may need to compensate through other defensive players.
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