With the Cleveland Cavaliers appearing to prioritize their young players and start tanking, they are reportedly gauging the trade market to offload some of their veterans.
According to Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, the Cavs have initiated testing the trade market for shooting guard Kyle Korver:
“Meanwhile, the Cavs have initiated testing the trade market for guard Kyle Korver in the past several days, sources said. There was some trade interest in Korver last summer, and the Cavs are circling back on those talks.”
Korver, 37, was originally traded to Cleveland in 2017 in exchange for Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, cash considerations, and a protected first-round draft pick. When he arrived, the sharpshooter put up 10.7 points on 47.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 35 games for the rest of the 2016-17 season. While his presence was certainly felt during the 2017-18 season, his numbers did take a bit of hit.
So far this season, Korver is averaging a mere 6.0 points in 15.2 minutes a game, his lowest numbers since his rookie year in the league. Still, the veteran can shoot the ball and contribute to a championship contender. With the Cavs not opting to heavily play their veterans, it’s understandable for both parties to move on.
As Korver’s career comes to an end, it makes more sense for him to be on the floor for a competing team instead of on the bench for a tanking team. Although the NBA is unpredictable, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Korver in a different jersey by the time the season is over.
