All offseason long, fans have clamored for the Lakers to go after players who fit two specific roles: two-way wing and backup center. Those were two holes the team struggled to fill last season, and they have continued to leave them blank this summer, believing internal improvement could solve their problems. However, new rumors suggest that the Lakers could be at the front of the line for an Eastern Conference wing.
The Forward in Question
Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway has included the Lakers in a potential list of suitors for Atlanta Hawks wing De’Andre Hunter. The 26-year-old is coming off of the best statistical season of his career. Across 57 games, he averaged 15.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists on .459/.385/.847 splits. Conway added:
“Hunter isn’t going to suddenly change [the Lakers’] championship trajectory, but he’s a near-perfect fit on the perimeter.
See AlsoLA Clippers: Can They Ever Win a Championship Under Donald Sterling?Inside LA Clippers Growing Pains: Getting Superstars to Sacrifice + Harden on CriticsLeBron James, Lakers Open 2nd Half of Season with Loss to ClippersHow the Los Angeles Clippers Can Still Pull off a Dream Trade This Offseason“While Trae Young is a stellar passer and makes Hunter’s life easier, he’s never played with a player with LeBron James’ gravity. The veteran’s three-point percentage could kick up all the way into the 40 percent mark if he found himself in Los Angeles.”
It’s worth noting that Hunter is—technically—a former Laker draft pick. The team selected him fourth overall in 2019 but had to ship him to the Hawks as part of a complicated draft day trade. The Pelicans controlled that pick as part of the Anthony Davis deal, but ended up trading it to Atlanta for more draft capital. In the six seasons since landing in “The A.” Hunter has played a pivotal role as a starter alongside Trae Young. But with Atlanta appearing to go in a different direction this summer, it makes sense as to why he’s on the block.
Aside from the Lakers, Conway also included the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs as other options for the ex-Virginia forward.
Does De’Andre Hunter to LA Make Sense?
When considering the Hunter-to-LA talk, there are various factors to keep in mind.
Pros
On one hand, Hunter is a good scorer both inside and outside the arc. Nearly 46% of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc, and, as mentioned earlier, he knocked them down at a respectable 38% clip. Hunter has also been solid when shooting off the catch, scoring nearly five points per game in that manner—second only to Bogdan Bogdanovic—and shooting 39% of those jumpers—good for fifth on the Hawks. He also shot 39.5% on catch-and-shoot threes, a particular skill the Lakers have missed from their frontcourt next to Davis and LeBron James.
Hunter also did damage in the paint as well, averaging five drives per game and making 50% of his shots that way. Defensively, while the numbers weren’t impressive (0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks per game), Hunter still played solid on that end of the floor, using his 225-pound frame and 7’2” wingspan to pick up opposing perimeter players—whether they were All-Stars or rotation guys. As Hunter told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution prior to the Play-in Tournament in April, he hates getting scored on:
“I mean my mindset is to stay in front of the ball. That’s pretty much it. I don’t really like dudes scoring on me. So, I guess you can say that’s my mindset. But yeah, that’s my biggest thing. I don’t like when people score on me.”
Cons
The main concerns that come with trading for Hunter are his contract and overall health. He is midway through a four-year, $90 million contract, and will be owed $48 million over the next two seasons. Matching the $23 million he’ll make this season won’t be an issue, but the type of players the Lakers include could pose some problems. The Lakers brass would only make trades if the return brought significant upgrades. Right now, it seems that Hunter isn’t much better than Rui Hachimura or defensive ace Jarred Vanderbilt—one of whom would have to go if LA traded for the Hawks forward.
Additionally, Hunter missed a slew of games due to right knee inflammation and injury management. The most games he has played in a season is 67 (2022-23), and has yet to play north of 70 games in his career. For a team that had a CVS receipt of an injury report, adding someone like Hunter may be a somewhat questionable move—even despite his success.
The Last Word
The Lakers must weigh the above factors and more when considering trading for Hawks wing De’Andre Hunter. There is no denying he’d be a positive in many aspects for this team. However, concerns regarding his injury history and his play in comparison to the team’s current forwards may warrant a case against him.
This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.
