Cleveland completes Korver deal
The Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday completed a trade to acquire guard Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks, giving the defending NBA champions another premier shooter.
The Hawks received guard/ forward Mike Dunleavy, guard Mo Williams, cash considerations and a future first-round draft pick.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to add a player and a person the caliber of Kyle Korver to our Cavs family,” general manager David Griffin said.
“Among the most prolific and dynamic three-point shooters in NBA history, a selfless and team-first competitor, Kyle brings all of the elements of Cavs DNA that we covet on and off the floor.”
The 6-foot-7, 212-pound Korver played in 32 games (21 starts) for the Hawks this season with averages of 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.9 minutes.
He is shooting .889 from the foul line and .409 from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures 16 times so far this season.
Korver, 35, spent the past four-plus seasons with the Hawks and currently ranks first on the team’s all-time free-throw percentage list at .887 (329 of 371) and third on the club’s all-time 3-point field-goals made chart with 818 triples.
He shot .452 (818 of 1,811) from the 3-point line in his career with Atlanta and hit at least one triple in 311 of 332 games played with the team.
Cavs star LeBron James expects Korver will increase his 49-percent mark on wideopen 3s in Cleveland.
“They’ll go higher than that,” James told reporters on Friday. “We’re gonna get him the ball. He’s on the floor for a reason. We’re going to get it to him.”
Korver addressed the in-the-works trade following Atlanta’s win on Thursday night in New Orleans and acknowledged he was Cleveland-bound.
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity for me, so I’m very excited about that part of it. From a basketball perspective, Cleveland is a great, great fit for me,” he said.
Korver is earning $5.2 million this season in the final year of his current contract.
Kevin Love, who along with James and Kyrie Irving comprises Cleveland’s so-callld ‘Big Three’, is looking forward to Korver’s presence.
“He’s going to be another veteran guy to help get the job done,” Love said.
“Obviously we know he can shoot the ball. With the way that we pass, he’ s going to bring a whole new dynamic to this team to help spread the floor even more than we can now.”
Playing in his 14th NBA season, Korver has appeared in 996 games (417 starts) with Philadelphia, Utah, Chicago and Atlanta, owning career averages of 10.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game.