Cavs acquire sharp-shooting Korver
The Cleveland Cavaliers completed the trade to acquire guard Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, giving the defending NBA champions another premier shooter.
The Hawks in return 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 person the caliber of Kyle Korver to our Cavs family,” Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said in a statement.
“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, while scoring in double figures 16 times in 2016-17.
Korver, 35, spent the last 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. Korver 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 wide-open 3s in Cleveland.
“They’ll go higher than that,” James told reporters 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 Thursday night in New Orleans and acknowledged that he was Cleveland-bound.
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity for me to go to Cleveland. So I’m very excited about that part of it ... From a basketball perspective, (Cleveland is) a great, great fit for me.”
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-called “Big Three” is looking forward to Korver’s presence. “He’s going to be another veteran guy,” 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.”