Sports
NBA Trade Rumors: Hawks Discussed De'Andre Hunter with Pistons, Pacers This Summer – Bleacher Report
De’Andre Hunter is coming off the highest scoring season of his career, but the Atlanta Hawks reportedly shopped him this offseason.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Atlanta discussed moving the forward with multiple teams. The Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons were part of those trade talks, but a deal didn’t happen.
Fischer brought up the Hunter trade talks as part of a larger discussion about Bogdan Bogdanović, who helped lead Serbia to the finals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Bogdanović’s presence makes Hunter more expendable, especially since the former is under team control through the 2026-27 season. He is the type of outside shooter and wing player who can thrive alongside the backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
Yet Hunter is not without value.
The No. 4 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft is just 25 years old and has been a steady secondary contributor for the Hawks. He has averaged more than 12 points per game in all four of his seasons in the NBA, including in 2022-23 when he posted 15.4 points and 4.2 rebounds a night while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep.
His versatility that allows him to defend multiple positions on one end and then either stretch the floor or attack off the bounce on the other end stands out, and he could get even better with more experience in the league.
It isn’t surprising the Pacers or Pistons were potentially interested as they look to build rosters that could compete for Eastern Conference playoff spots.
Alas, Hunter is still a member of the Hawks and will look to continue carving out a role as an important scorer even if he has to share some of the space in the rotation with Bogdanović.
