Kyle Korver Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Reactions, Notes On Trade Sending Korver To Jazz

November 29th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and the Jazz struck a deal on Wednesday, agreeing to a trade that will send Kyle Korver to Utah in exchange for Alec Burks and a pair of second-round picks. The move isn’t technically official yet, but Korver has already weighed in on it, speaking to Joe Vardon of The Athletic about his impending return to the Jazz.

“I’m thankful that (Cavaliers GM) Koby (Altman) and management were upfront and mindful of my family through this process and are sending us to a great city and organization,” Korver said. “We have lots of friendships there, which will soften the landing.”

As Vardon notes, the Cavaliers aren’t in a particularly good spot by now, and the organization’s image figures to take a hit this season as the losses pile up. However, players inside and outside of the organization will take notice that Cleveland kept Korver in the loop as they explored the trade market, ultimately moving him to a place where he and his family can be comfortable.

Here’s more on the swap between the Cavaliers and Jazz:

Although Cavaliers players recognize the team’s situation this season and will appreciate that the franchise sent Korver to a favorable destination, multiple players are a little upset by the trade, according to Vardon. Those players still want to win, and know that the Cavs’ outside shooting will take a big hit with Korver gone. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com has a handful of quotes from Cavs players reacting to the deal.
In the view of Jordan Greer of The Sporting News, the Korver swap is a win-win for the Cavaliers, who received an A- grade from Greer, and the Jazz, who got a B+.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com hears that the Cavaliers weren’t confident that Sixers guard Markelle Fultz would have been a strong enough return for Korver, since his shooting issues and possible shoulder problems made it difficult his true value.
Tony Jones of The Athletic and Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News explored the impact of the Korver deal from the Jazz‘s side.

Cavaliers Willing To Accept Long-Term Salary In Trades

November 28th, 2018 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

As the Cavaliers look to unload some of their expensive veterans, they have informed teams that they will take on long-term salary in exchange for other assets, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

With LeBron James gone and the playoffs seemingly out of reach, Cleveland has no interest in holding onto large contracts that will keep the organization near the luxury tax. The Cavs have already informally parted ways with J.R. Smith as they search for a taker for his $14.72MM salary, and several other players could be moved before the February 7 trade deadline.

Kyle Korver, who remains a dangerous 3-point shooter at age 37, should attract the most attention, according to Windhorst. Korver is shooting 46% from beyond the arc and is averaging 6.8 PPG. He is making $7.56MM with a $7.5MM salary for next season that won’t be guaranteed until July.

George Hill, who makes $19MM this season but only has a $1MM guarantee on his $18MM salary for 2019/20, will also be in demand, Windhorst adds. Hill is sidelined with a shoulder injury, but put up good numbers before being hurt. Channing Frye, who makes a modest $1.5MM but has only appeared in three games, is another candidate to go.

Windhorst notes that owner Dan Gilbert conducted a similar selloff when James left the team in 2010. The assets he collected in that process enabled him to bring in Kevin Love and some other valuable pieces when James returned four years later.

Latest On Markelle Fultz

November 27th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Multiple reports on Monday indicated that the Sixers likely won’t be providing an update on Markelle Fultz‘s status until later this week. The second-year point guard is visiting multiple specialists this week as those doctors attempt to determine what sort of physical issues are plaguing Fultz’s shoulder and wrist.

It will be interesting to see what sort of diagnoses those specialists provide, since not everyone is convinced that Fultz’s problems are physical. According to John Gonzalez of The Ringer, one team source asserted this week that Fultz’s issues are “definitely the yips,” while a source close to the former No. 1 pick insisted he’s hurt and is being bothered by a thumb injury.

In the view of Jordan Greer of The Sporting News, the Sixers and Fultz’s camp aren’t just at odds over whether his problems are physical or mental — the two sides also seem to be moving in opposite directions based on what’s best for the 20-year-old and what’s best for the team, according to Greer, who suggests that an “ugly divorce” may be on the horizon.

For their part, the 76ers have said that they expect Fultz to reclaim a role off the bench once he’s ready to get back on the court. However, Gonzalez is unconvinced that the Sixers are confident that will happen, or if they even want it to happen.

Here’s more on Fultz:

The trust that Fultz’s camp had in the Sixers has waned, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. League sources who have inquired on Fultz tell Kyler that they don’t think the former top pick will be on Philadelphia’s roster beyond this season’s trade deadline.
Following up on his report that the Cavaliers have inquired on Fultz, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net says those conversations weren’t “serious,” but the two teams left the door open to talk later, and probably will do so. According to Kyler, the Cavs are believed to have discussed a deal centered around Kyle Korver and a draft pick.
After speaking to several league executives, John Gonzalez of The Ringer believes that even getting a late first-round pick or early second-rounder in a trade for Fultz might be a tall order for the Sixers.

Sixers Remain Interested In Kyle Korver

November 13th, 2018 at 6:43pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Fresh off of a blockbuster deal that brought in Jimmy Butler, the Sixers are eyeing moves that will add shooting to a roster depleted of it.

Philadelphia remains “highly” interested in Kyle Korver, as Marc Stein writes in his weekly newsletter for The New York Times. Stein notes that it will be difficult for Philadelphia to acquire Korver now that Jerryd Bayless is no longer on the team. Bayless, who is on an expiring contract worth $8.6MM, was sent to Minnesota in the Butler deal.

Korver signed a three-year, $22MM contract with the Cavaliers during the summer of 2017. LeBron James has since left The Land, making him an awkward fit on a rebuilding squad.

Philadelphia still has options, as a package of Mike Muscala and Zhaire Smith would financially work for a Korver trade. With Muscala seeing meaningful minutes this year, it’s hard to see the Sixers including him or their promising 2018 first-rounder in a deal for the 37-year-old.

Swapping Markelle Fultz for Korver would also work financially, though the team’s front office appears to be taking a patient approach with the former No. 1 overall pick, which makes a Fultz trade unlikely at the moment.

Reactions To The Jimmy Butler Trade

November 10th, 2018 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler never meshed with two young stars in Minnesota, but he’ll have to make a similar situation work with the Sixers, writes Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Butler was abrasive with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, often questioning their toughness and their work ethic. Sielski believes the All-Star wing will have to take a different approach to be successful in Philadelphia.

The confrontations could be at least partially explained by Butler’s background, Sielski notes. He was picked 30th overall in 2011 and didn’t enter the league as a ready-made star like Towns and Wiggins or like the Sixers’ Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Butler’s attitude may endear him to fans, but it could lead to clashes with teammates, particularly Simmons, who has been known to pass up open jumpers and avoid contact late in games to avoid going to the foul line, where he is a 57% career shooter.

Coach Brett Brown talked about the need to add toughness after his team was eliminated from the playoffs last year. Butler brings plenty of that, Sielski adds, but some of his Sixers teammates may find it hard to adapt to the new atmosphere.

There’s more to pass along in the wake of today’s blockbuster:

The trade makes the Sixers better right away and still leaves the flexibility to improve in the future, states David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who adds that it won’t take much roster tinkering to be able to offer another maximum contract next summer. Philadelphia will have about $22MM in available cap room after accounting for Butler, Simmons and Embiid, along with Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet, Zhaire Smith and Jonah Bolden. Fultz will make $9,745,200 next season, so trading him and another young player could free up the roughly $11MM the Sixers will need for a max deal.
Butler now has all the advantages he could ask for and needs to prove he can fit in, according to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. The Sixers provide owners that are willing to spend, a forward-thinking and popular coach in Brown and proven talent already in place. Embiid and Simmons have the franchise set up for a long run as contenders, and Butler needs to settle into a role that doesn’t disrupt the chemistry that’s already in place.
The Sixers talked to the Cavaliers this summer about trading for Kyle Korver and still have interest in the 3-point specialist, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Knicks’ Courtney Lee is another possibility as Philadelphia looks for shooters after sending Dario Saric and Robert Covington to Minnesota. O’Connor suggests that the team may also wait for buyouts as it did last year when it picked up Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.
There was a big change in the Sixers’ odds to capture the NBA title after news of the trade was announced, according to Ed Barkowitz of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The team moved to a 16-1 shot to win it all at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas after starting the day at 30-1.

Cavs Rumors: Rozier, Korver, Smith, Rotation

November 7th, 2018 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are among the teams with interest in Celtics point guard Terry Rozier, league sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. As we relayed earlier today, there are reportedly at least seven teams around the NBA monitoring Rozier, who is said to be unhappy with his playing time. It sounds like it’s safe to assume that Cleveland is one of those seven teams.

Of course, the Cavs used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 draft on Collin Sexton, a player they hope will be capable of developing into their point guard of the future. Sexton’s still very early in his developmental process though, and plenty of teams around the NBA use lineups that feature more than one point guard, so that doesn’t mean that Rozier couldn’t be a fit in Cleveland.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

During a recent appearance on The Jump (video link; hat tip to AmicoHoops.net), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said that he expects trade interest to be much stronger for Kyle Korver than J.R. Smith, but cautions that Korver would be more attractive as a trade chip if he was on a true expiring contract, rather than having a partial guarantee for next season. Wojnarowski expects the Cavaliers to be able to move both players, but suggests they shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick for either, and may have to take on some money.
The Cavaliers don’t seem to view Larry Nance Jr. as a potential four, and Channing Frye only works in certain matchups, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who suggests that the team may lean more heavily on smaller power forwards with Kevin Love and Sam Dekker sidelined. Cedi Osman, Korver, and Smith are among the candidates.
Cavaliers veterans are happy that the team agreed to renegotiate Larry Drew‘s contract, creating some certainty at the head coaching position for this season, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “It’s just good to know they made a decision, for me,” Nance said. “It lets you go forward. I think some progress can be made.”

Eastern Notes: Korver, LaVine, Celtics, Kanter

November 5th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers, Thunder or Lakers are the most likely landing spots for veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver, Jordan Greer of the Sporting News opines. Korver is likely to get traded or bought out by a Cavaliers team that suddenly finds itself in a rebuilding mode. The combination of Korver and J.J. Redick could drive opposing defenses crazy in Philadelphia, while Oklahoma City desperately needs a 3-point shooter. LeBron James and Korver have good chemistry, as displayed by James’ 89 assists to Korver last season, Greer adds.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Bulls matched the Kings’ four-year, $78MM offer sheet for Zach LaVine and thus far it’s looking like a wise decision. As Sam Smith of the Bulls’ website notes, LaVine is shooting a career high 46.8% and averaging 26.6 PPG. He’s second in the Eastern Conference in usage rate to Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and his efficiency rating still is top 10 in the conference, Smith adds.
Interior scoring might be the Celtics’ biggest weakness, Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com points out. It entered Monday’s game at Denver ranked last in points in the paint with an average of just 35.3 per game. Coach Brad Stevens admits the lack of inside scoring is a carryover from the last two seasons. “Last year we were not very good either,” he said. “That’s been an issue for us for the last 18 months. Prior to that we were pretty good at it. So we’ve just got to keep hammering on it, see if we can get a little better.”
Knicks coach David Fizdale knows Enes Kanter isn’t happy coming off the bench but Fizdale believes he could be a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, as he told Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com and other media members. Kanter, a free agent after the season, is playing behind rookie Mitchell Robinson. “I just want him to keep settling into that role right now,” Fizdale said. “Quite honestly, if we keep going this rout, he’s a guy that with the numbers he’s going to get … he’s going to have his hat in that Sixth Man of the Year Award.”

Cavaliers Notes: Sexton, Drew, Smith, Korver

November 4th, 2018 at 9:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are in a state of chaos that stretches from the front office to their first-round draft pick, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The four-time defending Eastern Conference champs dropped to 1-8 last night after their latest lopsided loss, a 32-point blowout in Charlotte, and there seems little chance of righting the ship without a major roster upheaval.

There’s a significant divide in the locker room between players who are holdovers from the LeBron James era and the younger talent that management sees as the team’s future, Vardon adds. The focal point is 19-year-old Collin Sexton, who was taken with the eighth pick in this year’s draft. Any time a veteran talks about someone not knowing their role or where to be on the court, it’s usually a reference to Sexton, Vardon states.

Sexton is shooting 41.3% from the field through his first nine games and has about an equal number of assists and turnovers. However, he still has the backing of owner Dan Gilbert, who wants Sexton to keep playing, according to Vardon. Also, Sexton knows he has a future with the organization, unlike many of his veteran critics.

There’s more out of Cleveland, all courtesy of Vardon:

A week after firing Tyronn Lue, the Cavs still doesn’t have an official interim head coach. Larry Drew is running the team, but retains his title of associate head coach while trying to negotiate an increase in his salary. The front office offered a modest raise after Lue was dismissed, but Drew is holding out for a contract extension for himself and his assistants. When management refused, Drew went public with his demands. The players support Drew, but they don’t view him as an official head coach because of the contract standoff.
Through nine games, J.R. Smith has been told twice that he was being taken out of the rotation, then was quickly reinstalled by both Lue and Drew. Earlier this week, GM Koby Altman offered Smith the chance to go on paid leave because he wouldn’t be playing, but he got 24 minutes last night and led the team with 14 points. “As far as I’m concerned, given what our circumstances are, J.R., he’s a member of our team, and if I need him I’m going to call on him,” Drew said.
When Altman re-signed Kyle Korver to a three-year deal last summer, it came with an understanding that Korver would be traded or bought out if James left in free agency. Korver asked to be dealt after James joined the Lakers, but the front office refused, saying it wanted to keep the veteran core together to compete for a playoff spot. The Cavs would want maximum value if they do move Korver, likely a first-round pick.

Cavs Rumors: Korver, Drew, J.R. Smith, Love

October 31st, 2018 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

There was good news and bad news in Cleveland on Tuesday. The home crowd finally got to see the Cavaliers pick up their first victory of the season, as they blew out the Hawks by a 22-point margin. Plus, reports earlier in the day indicated that the city would host the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

However, the team’s coaching situation remains extremely unsettled, with Larry Drew telling reporters before the game that there’s still no deal in place to make him the team’s interim head coach, let alone the permanent coach. Drew, who is seeking a raise and possibly a longer-term commitment, said that he’s “very disappointed” with the lack of progress in negotiations.

As we wait to see what happens with Drew and the Cavs, here are a few more items out of interest from out of Cleveland:

The Cavaliers have begun testing the trade market for Kyle Korver, according to Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. Korver was mentioned in trade rumors over the summer, with reports suggesting that the Sixers discussed a potential deal for the veteran sharpshooter in July. It’s not clear if Philadelphia is still interested in Korver, but the Cavs are exploring their options.
The Cavs may become more active in looking to trade other veterans in the coming weeks, sources tell Windhorst and Wojnarowksi. Channing Frye, Rodney Hood, and David Nwaba aren’t trade-eligible until December 15 and Kevin Love can’t be traded until January 24, but anyone else on the roster could theoretically be dealt immediately.
J.R. Smith has been informed that he’ll be removed from the rotation and won’t receive guaranteed minutes, according to Windhorst and Wojnarowski. The ESPN duo reports that the veteran guard was “upset” by the news and considered taking some time away from the club, but has decided to stay with the Cavs for the time being. A Cavs front office official denied that report on Smith’s apparent discontent, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
- Update: Smith has since tweeted that the Cavs gave him the option of taking time away, but he chose to stay.
Although Larry Drew suggested on Tuesday that the Cavs may decide to bring in an outside coach to replace him, GM Koby Altman has no interest in going that route, writes Vardon.
Kevin Love confirmed on Tuesday that his toe injury will keep him sidelined for at least the next couple weeks, as Tom Withers of The Associated Press relays. “I would like to get back obviously as soon as possible,” Love said. “I had high hopes for the season, I know it’s been off to a really rocky start, but the more I can be out there and help this team, the better. So I’m hoping to get out there as quickly as possible and hoping that it’s only two or three weeks.”

Larry Drew “Very Disappointed” In Negotiations With Cavs

October 30th, 2018 at 9:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

9:47pm: The Cavaliers have not been aggressive in searching for another coach, sources tell Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

Drew, who is earning nearly $1MM this season, is one of the league’s highest-paid assistants. However, he’s looking for a raise on his salary in return for becoming the interim coach. The ESPN duo adds that it’s unclear how long Drew is willing to act as the coach without an agreement.

Windhorst and Wojnarowski also report that the Cavs again talking with teams about Kyle Korver trades, noting that the club could be more active in looking to deal other veterans in the coming weeks.

5:23pm: Larry Drew made it clear he was yet not the Cavaliers interim coach, telling the media earlier this week that he’s simply the “voice” of the team. He had hoped to reach an agreement with the Cavs to become the new floor leader. Prior to tonight’s game with Atlanta, there is still no deal in place and Drew is “very disappointed” in the lack of progress, Joe Varden of The Athletic tweets.

Drew added that he will “never quit” on the team and will “remain professional,” as Sam Amico of Amico Hoops relays via Twitter. Drew has been told the Cavaliers may bring another person in to be the head coach and he may be moved to his previous role.

“I’m fine with [the team bringing in another coach] … my contract is up in July. Maybe Larry Drew isn’t part of the future,” Drew said.

Drew has a career 143-169 record as a head coach. It was previously reported that there was a push within the organization to make Drew a long-term commitment.