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Cleveland Cavaliers Have Traded For Atlanta Hawks Kyle Korver

By Quenton S. Albertie

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have finally struck a deal and it’s not a deal many would have expected.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have just traded for Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver.

Kyle Korver, who is one the last year of a contract that’s valued at $5.2 million, is a 35-year-old shooting guard who has made his name in the league with tremendous three-point shooting and the size to make him a relatively versatile defender. His intelligence is also a benefit for teams as his season average of 1.3 turnovers per game compared to his average of 2.8 assists per game would suggest.

A 42.9 percent shooter from three for his career, Korver is shooting 40.9 percent of his three-point shots this season. Making exactly two out of five attempts per game, Korver is a marksman from deep and well-deserving of his spot in the top ten of all-time three-point shooters. Korver is currently 8th in NBA history with 1,952 assists, a number that’s only going to jump when playing next to LeBron James.

Korver doesn’t solve the Cavs issue of adding a veteran point guard, and perhaps the team will look to sign one of the three that are expected to be available soon. However, he does allow the Cavs to operate with their typical level of explosiveness from three-point range for the time being.

On the court, Korver gives the Cavs a player who can instantly replace the three-point threat of J.R. Smith. Without Smith, James has been forced to shoot more threes and it’s taken away from his ability to be a playmaker for the Cavs. Thus, the assist numbers for the Cavs end up in lows like the 13 assists the team had against the Chicago Bulls.

All that remains unsolved for the Cavs is the riddle of adding rim-protection. However, with teams able to sign players to 10-day contracts now, call-ups from the NBA Development League may happen sooner rather than later.

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What do you think of the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiring Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.