We’ve only had him for a year but from what I’ve seen, good ISO defender but plays bad team defense. Just doesn’t seem to play with much intensity or awareness of what’s going on that isn’t right in front of him. If he does happen to get fired up, he usually does something dumb or reckless.

He’ll have games that make him look like the ultimate 3+D player, especially last season. Seemed like Ty Jerome was able to unlock something with him from their UVA connection but it disappeared this season except a few flashes here and there.

Seems like he’s starting to ramp up from his awful start this season though..

neutral at best and his overall floor game is non-existent

Not nearly as good as I thought it was going to be. He’s a pretty average defender at best.

Not much better than Rui

Ok

Very similar to Rui

Surprisingly poor given his size and athleticism

He’s a better perimeter defender than Rui. Has a little more mobility to cover forwards than Rui can. Makes sense to slot Hunter at the SF spot with Lebron playing PF.

Very good ISO defender. Absolutely horrific off-ball defender

Garland has been a better defender than Hunter this year, if that says anything

hasn’t been a good defender since his knees disintegrated

You understand this trade isn’t official? It’s a leak from a source you’ve no idea of?

This shows people really just love hot takes.

Or is it an opening move for a larger trade for the salary match math?

They fired the scouting department when Walter (Jeanie) decided to purge the team earlier this season.

One thing to note is that the Lakers FO doesn’t leak much, it’s possible this is just noise coming from other sources

Yeah no shit lol Hunter is a negative asset to yall and a limited player

Lakers already have an open roster spot, doubt that would be a strong motivation to get worse and take on money next year. Also doubt this deal happens unless some kind of draft compensation comes the Lakers’ way (eg 2 seconds or a low first).

Make a Lebron move to Cleveland in the offseason possible. 

Cavs are a 2nd apron Team. By a lot. And LeBron wont sign for the vet min. So Cavs have to clear salary. 

For the Lakers this trade is just dumb 

Clears a roster spot, fills a guys trade demands, [theoretically] improves the defense.

Hunter does come with an extra year of term, compared to Rui who’s a pending UFA. If they’re worried that they won’t be able to get someone better than Rui in free agency, having Hunter who’s ~ Rui, is a fine lateral move at the very least.

This deal feels like it makes more sense for the Cavs than the Lakers though. Also a funny full circle moment for Hunter as he was the main draft pick dealt for Anthony Davis.

In the fine print, LeBron is also included in the trade as a throw in…they are just using the blockbuster names if Rui and Hunter as distractions

This makes zero sense lol. Also Rui has been really good with his FGs and above average defence.

Sounds like making a trade just for the sake of it

Rui has a better contract too. This seem like a testing the waters type trade talk.

I like Rui at the 4 next to Mobley - that’d give us some nice flexibility with some lineups now that Strus should be back soon and the emergence of Tyson. Sign me up!

Rui has better shooting numbers, but he also has Luka and LeBron setting him up right now. I could easily see Hunter shooting better on the Lakers than he has on the Cavs this year.

The benefit of this trade for the Lakers is that they need a SF way more than they need a PF.

yeah they need to ditch salary and get a better player lol average Pelinka trade 

This is an excellent move for us, because it gets us under the 2nd apron for next season keeping a future 1st rounder from being frozen. I’m really not sure how this helps the Lakers unless they really believe Dre is going to start outperforming his contract.

Helping the Cavs clear salary so Lebron can join next year. Good guy Pelinka 

Not if you’re the Bulls front office

Only thing that makes sense. They don’t want to give Rui a new contract so trade him & dump Dalton, which they’ve been trying to do for a while, for someone they can possibly move at the deadline next year as an expiring deal

lol the only way this makes sense is if yall are sending the Lakers picks…anything else is wishful thinking

The other side can always leak; plus any players and agents who get wind of it…

He carries 1 game out of 20, and Hawks used to still lose. Cant rebound, not the best defender, bad passer. There is nothing but streaky shooting there.

If they’re moving this, the “third team” would get Gabe, Maxi and a FRP. This is beyond laughable for Claxton (or any other starter).

I’m not suggesting they will I’m just saying any trade that involves swapping rui for hunter seems kinda stupid, maybe I worded it weird but my first paragraph was basically saying is knecht’s deal that bad that you need it off your books bad enough to swap rui for hunter for the Cavs to take it?

Our main beat reporter, Dan Woike, reported that he has no trade value.

Its weird because a lakers guy had a similar deal reported yesterday but had rui untouchable by the lakers. So theres a lot of smoke here with hunter to the lakers at least. It snowballed into something huge tho according to this theory Cavs were just getting salary relief this year(gabe Vincent and kleber) to put them under the apron and dalton is getting rerouted to the nets. But it all leads to lebron sign and trade in the summer for Jarrett Allen back to the lakers as well. It was laughed off pretty hard but with this report coming out of Cleveland a day later I dont know anymore. It’ll be tough to see Cleveland just salary dump and not really add much at the deadline but it would be equally crazy for the lakers to downgrade from rui to hunter imo. It will be interesting to see what the truth ends up being

Bronny for Lonzo, ez.

The Lakers have to shed about two million more in salary to make it happen according to hard cap rules. About the exact amount Bronny is making.

To be fair he hasn’t exactly been given an easy team to learn on. If Knecht can get back to shooting threes as he used to (37.6% on 4.4 3PA in 2025), he can come off the bench for a number of teams and be a net positive.

His defensive issues wouldn’t be so painful to watch if he weren’t on a team with Luka, Lebron, AR and Vincent… Plus a lack of a reliable rim/paint protector (Ayton is way too hit or miss to count).

Yeah similar to how Grayson Allen left the Bucks and isn’t complete dog water anymore

this year he is fam. D’Andre’s shooting has fallen off a cliff and he can’t defend 4’s. Rui is their most versatile defender at this point probably