Cleveland Cavaliers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Spencer Davies of SI.com reports that Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter won't make his Cavs debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards. Cleveland acquired Hunter via trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, and his next chance to suit up for his new club will be on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fantasy managers should know that the 27-year-old could make an immediate impact while playing with a new team, as he posted the best numbers of his career before the trade, averaging 19.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 28.8 minutes per game with Atlanta.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (shoulder) has been listed as probable for Friday's matchup with the Washington Wizards. He received a night off to deal with a shoulder contusion on Wednesday and seems ready to go against a lowly Wizards team that will roll out a decimated crew until all of their trades go through. This season, Mitchell averages 23.8 points, 4.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while the Cavs sit atop the Eastern Conference.

The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired De'Andre Hunter from the Hawks in exchange for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two swaps. Hunter was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and has played all six seasons with the Hawks. He was posting the best numbers of his career before the trade, averaging 19.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 28.8 minutes per game, working mostly off the bench. Hunter will likely move into a starting role in Cleveland but his usage could drop with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen already established in the starting five and in the team's productive offense. Hunter is a big "win-now" addition for the Cavs, who currently have the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and add a proven scoring forward.

According to Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, Cleveland Cavaliers guardDonovan Mitchell(shoulder) will not play on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. Mitchell is dealing with a right shoulder injury and will be out of action for only the third time during this year's campaign. With the Cavs' best player out, fantasy managers could possibly see Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, or Max Strus help lead the team's backcourt Wednesday night.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Sam Merrill (illness) is active against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. He has been upgraded from questionable to available. Merrill faced the possibility of missing a second straight game. With Caris LeVert (wrist) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) out, Merrill will be a valuable option off the bench. However, his performances generally aren't good enough to help fantasy managers. Cleveland also has Darius Garland (rest) back in action on Thursday, which likely pushes Jaylon Tyson out of the rotation.