NBA Rumors: Cavaliers Could Trade Kyle Korver For A 1st-Round Pick, ‘Forbes’ Suggests
During the recent Cleveland Cavaliers’ media day, Kyle Korver admitted that he strongly considered retirement after the 2017-18 NBA season. At 37, the veteran shooting guard is aware that he’s already near the end of his NBA career, and he has shown some signs of slowing down. Still, Korver decided to return to the Cavaliers for another season.
Despite losing LeBron James in the recent free agency, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman made it clear that they have no intention of undergoing a rebuilding process. As of now, their main goal is to defend their title as the Eastern Conference champions and make their fifth consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals. That’s actually good news for Kyle Korver. He definitely wants to spend the remaining years of his NBA career playing for a contender.
However, Cleveland may no longer be an ideal place to stay for the 37-year-old sharpshooter. If J.R. Smith remains healthy, Cavaliers Head Coach Tyronn Lue could use him over Korver as their starting shooting guard this season. With the presence of young wingmen like Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, Sam Dekker, and David Nwaba, Korver could only see limited playing time in his third year with the Cavaliers.
If the Cavaliers won’t give Kyle Korver enough time to play on the court, Evan Dammarell of Forbes believes it will be best for them to make him available on the trading block before the February NBA trade deadline. Dammarell thinks the Cavaliers could receive a future first-round pick in exchange for the veteran shooting guard.
“While it would not be met with approval from fans, Korver is actually one of Cleveland’s best trade assets. He is owed $11 million over the next two seasons, a positive teammate in the locker room and one of the league’s top three-point threats with a career average of 43.1% from beyond the arc. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder or even Los Angeles Lakers would all likely want to add Korver to their roster. Cleveland could easily get a first round pick for Korver, along with additional young talent to develop, thanks to the demand for a player of his skillset.”
The Cavaliers will be, uh, shorthanded in their second preseason game https://t.co/VYtPwgTa3V
— JohnnyCleveland (@Cle_Sports_Guy) October 7, 2018
Despite his age, Kyle Korver can still be a reliable contributor to a playoff contender who needs a boost in three-point shooting and a veteran presence in their locker room. In the 73 games he played with the Cavaliers last season, Korver averaged 9.2 points on 45.9 percent shooting from the field and 43.6 percent from beyond the arc.
