NBA Deadline: Cavaliers Ship De’Andre Hunter to Kings, Land Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis in Three-Team Trade
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Los Angeles, CA — Feb. 1, 2026 — The Cleveland Cavaliers have moved forward De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings and acquired guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis in a three-team agreement that also sends forward Dario Saric and two future second-round picks to the Chicago Bulls.
League sources confirmed the deal Saturday night, hours before Thursday’s trade deadline. The swap ends separate pursuits by the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been linked to both Hunter and Ellis while searching for perimeter defenders with outside shooting ability.
The terms of the trade
• To Kings: De’Andre Hunter
• To Cavaliers: Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis
• To Bulls: Dario Saric, two future second-round selections
Cleveland had sought Lakers forward Rui Hachimura in earlier Hunter talks, aiming to trim salary before next season’s second tax apron. Instead, the Cavaliers lower their payroll by roughly $7 million this year and about $10 million in 2026-27 by exchanging Hunter’s multiyear contract for Schroder’s less expensive deal and Ellis’s expiring pact.
From a basketball standpoint, Cleveland gains two backcourt defenders as it pushes for position in a crowded Eastern Conference, while Sacramento adds wing depth with Hunter. Chicago takes on Saric’s contract and adds draft capital.
The transaction removes two potential options from the Lakers’ shortlist, increasing the chance that Los Angeles will remain inactive at the upcoming deadline.
Source: Lakers Nation
