{"id":581320,"date":"2026-02-04T06:51:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/581320\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T06:51:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T06:51:20","slug":"deandre-hunter-praises-good-energy-in-sacramento-after-trade-from-cavs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/581320\/","title":{"rendered":"De\u2019Andre Hunter praises ‘good energy’ in Sacramento after trade from Cavs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, the Sacramento Kings<\/a> made a long overdue trade. They sent Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, both of whom have been deprioritized by the team, to the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring in De’Andre Hunter<\/a>. While many believe that the Kings got the short end of the stick<\/a> in that deal, bringing in Hunter at least gives them a small forward with prototypical size to work with and this helps declutter their logjam at the guard positions.<\/p>\n

While going from a Cavs team that had championship hopes to a 12-39 Kings squad that’s currently languishing in the bottom of the Western Conference has to be very sobering for Hunter, he is embracing the opportunity<\/a> that lies ahead of him with his new team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s good energy here. A lot of great coaches. A lot of experience in the league, very experienced players who’ve been in the league for a while. Just excited for a new opportunity,\u201d Hunter told reporters, via James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento. \u201c[I] bring versatility on both ends. A guy that plays hard. A guy that does what the team needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

De\u2019Andre Hunter on getting traded to Sacramento, how he fits and his 3-point shot. pic.twitter.com\/pYeahmZmcZ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 James Ham (@James_HamNBA) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Hunter is currently averaging just 14 points per game this season on 42.3 percent shooting from the field and a career-worst 30.8 percent from beyond the arc. Perhaps being in a more consistent role in Sacramento helps get his production back on track.<\/p>\n

Kings have more to do on the trade market\"SacramentoSergio Estrada-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Kings, as laughable as their present roster construction may be, at least have all their future first-round picks. They do owe a first-round pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs, but that won’t be until 2031 anyway.<\/p>\n

This should give the Kings the license to tank<\/a> and hope that they draft a new franchise cornerstone that lifts the franchise from the trenches. Trading Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine would also go a long way towards recouping some assets as they pivot towards a full-blown youth movement.<\/p>\n