Cavaliers reportedly acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder from Kings in exchange for De'Andre Hunter
- - Cavaliers reportedly acquire Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder from Kings in exchange for De'Andre Hunter
Ian Casselberry January 31, 2026 at 10:49 PM
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for De'Andre Hunter, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Hunter, 28, was dealt to the Cavaliers before last season's NBA trade deadline from the Atlanta Hawks for a package that included Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps. However, he fell out of head coach Kenny Atkinson's rotation in recent weeks.
BREAKING: The Cleveland Cavaliers are trading De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, sources tell ESPN. The three-team deal includes the Chicago Bulls acquiring Kings forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks. pic.twitter.com/Hoc6bP0hhj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 1, 2026
As Darius Garland is sidelined with a sprained right toe, Jaylon Tyson has emerged as an impact guard alongside Donovan Mitchell, averaging 13.9 points and shooting 46% on 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Hunter is struggling through one of the worst seasons of his career, shooting only 42% from the floor (30% on 3s) while averaging 14 points per game.
Hunter is making $22.3 million this season and has a $24.9 million salary for next season. In light of his declining numbers, the Cavaliers wanted to move his contract off their salary cap. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in picking Hunter up, according to NBA reporter Jake Fischer.
The Kings became a possible trade partner with Cleveland's reported interest in Ellis. A career 41% 3-point shooter averaging 6.3 points per game and known for his defensive talents, the 26-year-old is playing out a $2.3 million club option and can be a free agent after the season.
There's a reason why Keon Ellis is one of the best guard defenders in the NBA.Look at that footwork. Tremendous last step. Always in balance.Two stocks and a steal off the bench against Boston. pic.twitter.com/3jYuqyQQAY
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) January 31, 2026
Schröder was included in the deal to make the salaries match under the cap. He signed a three-year, $45 million free agent deal with Sacramento which pays him $14.1 million this season and $30.3 million over the following two years.
Getting traded is nothing new for Schröder. The veteran guard, 32, has now been dealt for the eighth time during his 13-year professional career, as NBA analyst Yossi Gozlan points out.
Dennis Schroder has now been traded 8 times. He is now tied with multiple players for the second-most times traded in NBA history.Trevor Ariza is the leader with 11 trades.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) February 1, 2026
Last season, he was traded three times in 18 hours, going from the Golden State Warriors to the Miami Heat, then from the Utah Jazz to the Detroit Pistons. Officially, he played for the Nets, Warriors and Pistons. The Cavaliers will be the 11th team he's played for in the league.
The Cavaliers likely wanted to move fast on getting Ellis, in addition to wanting to deal Hunter away, with several other teams showing interest. The Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics were among those looking to make a deal.
Meanwhile, the Kings were discussing deals involving Ellis that included Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan. Sacramento reportedly wants to move at least one of their contracts off its salary cap.
Source: “AOL Sports”
