Cleveland Cavaliers: More Details Emerge About The Kyle Korver Trade

New details have emerged about the trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks that sent Kyle Korver to Cleveland.

According to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer, Atlanta Hawks were rebuffed when they asked for the Cleveland Cavaliers to throw Anadolu Efes swingman Cedi Osman into the deal for Kyle Korver. Osman, who is the leading scorer for the EuroLeague ball club, is averaging 14.8 points on 56.3 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range.

If you don’t know who Osman is, it’s not hard to understand why Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to keep this sweet-shooting youngblood with silky athleticism.

There aren’t any European comparisons I can think of off the top of my head but interestingly enough, the closest comparison I can think of for Osman is Sasha Pavlovic, who played with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2004-2009 and only had one season where he shot less than 36.5 percent from three-point range in that time. He also could consistently attack the rim because he had NBA-level athleticism.

Osman also has interesting defensive potential as well.

Next year, Richard Jefferson and James Jones are entering their final seasons. After this summer, with Kyle Korver‘s contract expires. Players like DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae, though players the Cavs like, aren’t guaranteed to be on the team. Liggins’ deal isn’t guaranteed next year and McRae will be a restricted free agent this summer.

When looking at all those perimeter players potentially on the move, Osman is an important young asset for the Cavs to keep. That could be why the Cavs opted to give the Atlanta Hawks $750,000 instead although they already had given up a shooter in Mike Dunleavy Jr. and a first-round pick for Korver, which is fair compensation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will send $750,000 to the Atlanta Hawks in Korver/Dunleavy/Williams swap @BBallInsiders payable in 45 days of deal
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) January 13, 2017

Giving up Osman would have been a bad deal for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as it pertains the Hawks. Still, with reports surfacing that the Cavs would be willing to move Osman in a deal, it brings to question what a good deal for the Cavs would be to move him.

A point guard? Even though Kay Felder is in line for that job to be his within the next two years. A center? Even though general manager David Griffin doesn’t think the Cavs need one? Perhaps, no deal, except a deal that would bring unexpected fortune to the Cavs, is the right deal. But then again, Korver was an unexpected fortune for the Cavs and even then, the Cavs did whatever they could to keep Cedi.