J-Speaks: Cavs Acquire Veteran Sharp Shooter

At 28-8, the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Eastern Conference and essentially the entire NBA. They do have a chink in their armor with the absence of shooting guard J.R. Smith, who has been on the mend following thumb surgery that will likely keep him out until at least the start of April. A move needed to be made and they looked to a conference rival and in an instance made that necessary move.

Over the weekend, the Cavaliers acquired veteran sharp shooting guard Kyle Korver from the conference rival Atlanta Hawks in exchange for forward/guard Mike Dunleavy, guard Mo Williams, cash and a protected future First-Round draft pick. The deal was made on Saturday and made official on Sunday.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to add a player and person the caliber of Kyle Korver to our Cavs family,” the team’s general manager David Griffin said in a statement over the weekend. “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 acquisition of the veteran sharp shooter by the Cavaliers was able happen because they traded their First-Round pick in June’s draft to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for reacquire their 2018 protected First-Round pick, which originally was sent to the Trail Blazers at the February 2016 trade deadline along with center Anderson Varejao. By reacquiring their 2018 First-Round pick, it allowed the Cavs to provide the Hawks the First-Round pick they were seeking, which was a 2019 First-Round pick, that is Top-10 protected.

All of this took place because under NBA guidelines, teams are precluded to trading away First-Round picks in consecutive seasons.

The 2019 and 2020 First-Round picks are Top-10 protected, but if the pick ends up being protected, meaning left unused by the Hawks over the next two seasons, those picks will become Second-Round selections for the Hawks in June 2021 and 2022.

All the players involved in the deal need to report to their new teams within 72 hours, as stated by NBA rules and all involved need to undergo and pass a physical before they can play for their new teams.

ESPN’s Marc Stein and Marc J. Spears indicate in a report on Sunday that Dunleavy has yet to report to the Hawks. It was indicated by ESPN.com that the 14-year veteran is seeking a buyout from the Hawks, which would allow him to become a free agent immediately and he can sign with any team of his choosing.

The Cavs hope that Dunleavy’s medical exam will be done by Monday and that he passes it so Korver can participate in his new team’s first practice. If that happens, Korver at some point will play for the Cavs during their five-game swing out West, with the conclusion of this savant being another rematch with the team they defeated in The Finals back in June 2016 the defending Western Conference Champion Golden State Warriors on Jan. 16, Martin Luther King Day on TNT.

In Korver, the Cavs acquired a 14-year veteran, regarded as one of the best three-point marksman in the NBA. In those 14 seasons, Korver has averaged 10.0 points per contest on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range. In 32 games with the Hawks in the 2016-17 NBA campaign, the No. 51 overall pick out of Creighton back in 2003 was averaging 9.5 points per contest on 44.1 percent from the floor and 40.9 percent from three-point range.

The 35-year-old, who was named an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2015 is in the final year of his current contract, where he is earning $5.2 million.

“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for me to go to Cleveland,” Korver said on Thursday amid the reports of him being dealt to the Cavs. “So, I’m very excited about that part of it.”

His addition to the Cavs will provide much needed depth to their backcourt, who are as mentioned earlier are without Smith after he broke his thumb that required to surgery.

The team also lost backup center Chris Andersen last month after he sustained a torn ACL in practice that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

“It adds another dynamic piece to our team,” Four-time league MVP LeBron James, who became the 14th player in NBA history to make 10,000-field goals in his eventual Hall of Fame career as he scored 28 points on 11 for 17 shooting with eight rebounds in the Cavs’ 120-116 win at the Phoenix Suns (12-26) on Sunday said of the addition of Korver. “Helluva sharpshooter and just a great guy. Great professional, as you’ve seen over his career, a guy that’s played at a high level for a long time, has championship aspirations. And he has another rocket launcher.”

While the Cavs gain another offensive threat, the Hawks said goodbye to a key part of their team over the last five seasons.

“In this case, we made a trade that wasn’t easy. It was a hard decision. Kyle is somebody who was a big part of us building our culture and our success over the past five years,” Hawks head coach and team president Mike Budenholzer said to reporters on Saturday. “I have a ton of respect for him and an appreciation for him as a player, more so as a human being.”

How well respected was Korver to the Hawks organization. The team posted a farewell to him on their Twitter page.

Korver also expressed his appreciation of being a part of the Hawks organization by saying, “there’s a lot of relationships that I care about here that I’m going to miss. From a basketball perspective [Cleveland is] a great, great fit for me. And I know that.”

Even with the addition of Korver, James said on Thursday that still need to add more to their current roster, like an understudy to All-Star lead guard Kyrie Irving, who had missed three straight games with a sore hamstring from Dec. 31, 2016 to Jan. 4, 2017. They also in need of another big man to backup starting center Tristan Thompson. The trade deadline for the NBA is Feb. 23.

This trade for the Hawks (21-16), who are currently in the No. 5 spot in the East and are looking to make the postseason for the ninth year in succession are at a major impasse as they mull over the direction they want to take as a franchise not just this season, but going into the future.

With Korver on the move, there is speculation that the next Hawk to be moved is starting forward Paul Millsap, who is also in the final year of his contract and will be looking to get paid this off-season.

“This is a good team that we have. This is a team that has shown an ability to compete at a high level. Keeping it together is something…I just wouldn’t make any assumptions going forward.”

The truth of the matter is that the Hawks are different from years past. The team is now centered around Dwight Howard, who the team signed in the off-season to come back home and their new starting lead guard is Dennis Schroder, the former understudy to Jeff Teague who was traded to the Indiana Pacers in the off-season. Howard took the place of Al Horford, who signed with the Boston Celtics in the off-season. On top of that, the team’s newest shooting guard likely going forward will be Tim Hardaway, Jr., who came to the team in a trade last off-season.

Budenholzer in speaking with reporters on Saturday, prior to the Hawks 97-82 win at the Dallas Mavericks (11-26) on Sunday that they do not expect Williams to join the team since he has all but retired, which he announced to the Cavs before the start of training camp back in September 2016. Williams, a 13-year veteran drafted No. 47 overall in June 2003 has averaged 13.2 points and 4.9 assists per game on 43.4 percent from the field and 37.8 from three-point range playing for the Utah Jazz in two stints, Bucks, Cavaliers in two stints, Los Angeles Clippers, Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Charlotte Hornets. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.4 assists for the Cavs a season ago.

The Hawks are very optimistic about what the 36-years-old Dunleavy can add to the team.

“We will bring him in,” Budenholzer said of the 14-year veteran after the Hawks’ shoot around in Dallas on Saturday. “I think he’s got the type of game and a skill set that I think he could be very good playing for us. We’ll just have to see how he is, integrate him, continue to build. He’s a player who we’ve liked, and personally I’ve liked, for a long time. We’ll see how he fits into our mix.” 

The former No. 3 overall pick No. 3 overall pick in June 2002 has averaged 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in stints with the Warriors, Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and the previously mentioned Cavs, who acquired Dunleavy from the Bulls back in July 2016.

He is earning $4.9 million this season, but his $5.2 million salary for next season is only partially guaranteed. Dunleavy, Jr., the son of former NBA head coach Mike Dunleavy averaged 4.6 points and two rebounds in 23 appearances for the Cavs this season.

With or without Dunleavy, Budenholzer also said over the weekend that Hardaway, Jr., who is averaging a career-high of 11.7 points per game this season on a career-best 44.7 percent from the field so far, this season and is averaging 19.3 points per contest so far in the new year will have a much larger role now that Korver has moved on and the No. 12 overall and No. 21 overall picks in June 2016 draft in Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry out of Baylor University and Saint Joseph’s University respectably will be getting additional minutes off the Hawks bench.

With the epicenter of this deal is Korver and what he can bring to the Cavs, especially in the postseason. If he can be the floor spacer and knock down shooter he has been for his career, the Cavs are very likely to be back-to-back champions again.

Information, statistics and quotations are courtesy of 1/7/17 www.espn.com story, “Cavs Send Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams and Future First-Rounder to Hawks for Kyle Korver,” by ESPN.com news services, with information contributed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Marc Stein and The Associated Press; 1/8/17 www.espn.com story, “Sources: Mike Dunleavy Wants Buyout From Hawks, Hopes To Become Free Agent,” by Mar. J. Spears, Marc Stein and Dave McMenamin; www.espn.com/nba/team/transactions/_/name/cle; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/2011/kyle-korver; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/1966/lebron-james;  www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2178; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1708; www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/atl and www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/cle.