De'Andre James Hunter (born December 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers and was named the NABC Defensive Player of the Year for 2019.
 Hunter with the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 | |
| No. 12 – Atlanta Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward / shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 2, 1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Friends' Central School (Wynnewood, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Virginia (2016–2019) |
| NBA draft | 2019: 1st round, 4th overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| 2019–present | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
editHunter grew up in Lawncrest, Philadelphia and attended Friends' Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. As a junior, he averaged 21.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, while being named Pennsylvania Class AA Player of the Year. As a senior in 2016, Hunter averaged 23.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Hunter was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the 72nd overall recruit and 14th best small forward in the 2016 high school class.[1]
On September 12, 2015, Hunter committed to Virginia, choosing UVA over other offers from NC State and Notre Dame.[2]
College career
edit
During his redshirt freshman season, Hunter scored double figures in 16 games, including in 11 conference games. During a game against Louisville, Hunter scored the final 3 pointer to win the game at the buzzer.[3] Hunter broke his wrist during the 2018 ACC tournament and could not play in the 2018 NCAA tournament.[4] Without Hunter, the number 1 seed Virginia went on to lose in the first round to the number 16 seed, UMBC. After this season, Hunter was named to the All-ACC All-Freshman team, as well as being named the ACC Sixth man of the year.[5] In his freshman season, Hunter posted 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Hunter later announced that he would return to Virginia for the 2018–2019 season despite speculation that he could declare for the 2018 NBA draft.[6]
In his sophomore season, Hunter averaged 15.2 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game. He helped lead Virginia to another #1 seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament. Virginia would win the 2019 Championship game 85–77 behind Hunter's 27 points and 9 rebounds, including a game-tying 3 with 12.9 seconds left in regulation.
Following his second season, Hunter announced his intention to forgo his final two seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2019 NBA draft, where he was taken 4th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers and later traded to the Atlanta Hawks.[7]
Professional career
editAtlanta Hawks (2019–present)
editOn June 20, 2019, Hunter was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis trade, and then again to the Atlanta Hawks along with Solomon Hill for picks Nos. 8, 17, and 35 in the 2019 NBA draft.[8] On July 7, 2019, the Atlanta Hawks announced that they had signed Hunter.[9] On October 24, 2019, Hunter made his NBA debut, starting in a 117–100 win over the Detroit Pistons and finishing with 14 points and two rebounds.[10]
Hunter began the 2020–21 season in the starting lineup for the Hawks.[11]
On January 24, 2021, Hunter recorded a then career high of 33 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.[12] On February 7, 2021, the Hawks announced that Hunter would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and would be out for an extended period of time.[13] Going into the All-Star break, Hunter posted averages of 17.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game, leading to the NBA naming him to the Rising Stars roster.[14] On June 9, 2021, the Hawks announced that Hunter would undergo surgery to repair a torn right meniscus and would be out for the rest of the season.[15]
On April 26, 2022, Hunter scored a career high of 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Despite his effort, the Hawks would lose the game 97–94 against the Miami Heat, eliminating them from the playoffs in five games.[16]
On October 17, 2022, Hunter agreed on a four-year, $95 million contract extension with the Hawks.[17]
On January 13, 2023, Hunter scored 26 points on a career-high six three-pointers made in a 113–111 win over the Indiana Pacers.[18]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Atlanta | 63 | 62 | 32.0 | .410 | .355 | .764 | 4.5 | 1.8 | .7 | .3 | 12.3 |
| 2020–21 | Atlanta | 23 | 19 | 29.5 | .484 | .326 | .859 | 4.8 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | 15.0 |
| 2021–22 | Atlanta | 53 | 52 | 29.8 | .442 | .379 | .765 | 3.3 | 1.3 | .7 | .4 | 13.4 |
| 2022–23 | Atlanta | 67 | 67 | 31.7 | .461 | .350 | .826 | 4.2 | 1.4 | .5 | .3 | 15.4 |
| 2023–24 | Atlanta | 57 | 37 | 29.5 | .459 | .385 | .847 | 3.9 | 1.5 | .7 | .3 | 15.6 |
| Career | 263 | 237 | 30.7 | .447 | .363 | .811 | 4.1 | 1.5 | .7 | .3 | 14.3 | |
Play-in
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Atlanta | 2 | 2 | 29.3 | .467 | .250 | 1.000 | 6.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 16.0 |
| 2023 | Atlanta | 1 | 1 | 22.8 | .222 | .000 | .667 | 6.0 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| 2024 | Atlanta | 1 | 1 | 42.2 | .188 | .000 | .667 | 2.0 | 4.0 | .0 | .0 | 8.0 |
| Career | 4 | 4 | 30.9 | .345 | .118 | .750 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | 11.5 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Atlanta | 5 | 5 | 30.4 | .400 | .375 | .750 | 4.0 | .6 | .2 | .6 | 10.8 |
| 2022 | Atlanta | 5 | 5 | 34.9 | .557 | .462 | .800 | 3.8 | .6 | .8 | .2 | 21.2 |
| 2023 | Atlanta | 6 | 6 | 37.4 | .459 | .368 | .800 | 5.7 | 1.2 | .7 | .3 | 16.7 |
| Career | 16 | 16 | 34.4 | .480 | .400 | .783 | 4.6 | .8 | .6 | .4 | 16.3 | |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Virginia |  Redshirt
| ||||||||||
| 2017–18 | Virginia | 33 | 0 | 19.9 | .488 | .382 | .755 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .6 | .4 | 9.2 |
| 2018–19 | Virginia | 38 | 38 | 32.5 | .520 | .438 | .783 | 5.1 | 2.0 | .6 | .6 | 15.2 |
| Career | 71 | 38 | 26.6 | .509 | .419 | .773 | 4.4 | 1.6 | .6 | .5 | 12.4 | |
References
edit- ^ "DeAndre Hunter – basketball recruiting – player profiles". ESPN. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ "DeAndre Hunter to Virginia: Cavaliers land 4-star SG Prospect". www.bleacherreport.com. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- ^ Carroll, Charlotte (March 1, 2018). "Watch: No. 1 Virginia Beats Louisville Despite Being Down 4 With a Second Left". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Rollins, Khadrice (March 13, 2018). "Virginia's De'Andre Hunter Will Miss NCAA Tournament Due to Broken Wrist". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ "ACC ANNOUNCES ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM, POSTSEASON AWARDS". theacc.com. March 4, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Norlander, Matt (April 20, 2018). "De'Andre Hunter, who might have been a first-round pick in this year's NBA Draft, is returning to Virginia". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Josh Needleman (April 15, 2019). "Virginia guard De'Andre Hunter declares for NBA Draft". dailyprogress.com.
- ^ "Atlanta Hawks Acquire Draft Rights To De'Andre Hunter, Solomon Hill And Conditional 2023 Second-Round Pick From New Orleans". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ^ "Atlanta Hawks Sign De'Andre Hunter". NBA.com. July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
- ^ "Trae Young has 38 points, Hawks beat Pistons 117–110". ESPN.com. October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ "De'Andre Hunter 2020–21 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ Spencer, Sarah K. (January 24, 2021). "De'Andre Hunter has career-high 33 points in Hawks loss to Bucks". ajc.com. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ "Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter to undergo surgery on ailing right knee". nba.com. February 7, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ Rowland, Brad (March 3, 2021). "Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter named to 2021 Rising Stars roster". Peachtree Hoops. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Hawks' De'Andre Hunter out for season with torn right meniscus". nba.com. June 9, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ Newton, Matt (April 26, 2022). "De'Andre Hunter Scores Career-High 35 Points in Hawks' Season-Ending Loss at Miami". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- ^ "Atlanta Hawks & De'Andre Hunter Agree on Contract Extension". si.com. October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Collins beats buzzer with tip-in, Hawks edge Pacers 113–111". ESPN. January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Virginia Cavaliers bio Archived July 2, 2018, at the Wayback Machine