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Shooting guard Kyle Korver knew the Cavaliers’ front office might deal him early in the season and he listed the Jazz as one of his preferred destinations, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News reports. Korver was traded for Alec Burks and two future second-round picks. “It feels like a good fit,” Korver told Woodyard. Korver is in his second stint with Utah, having played there from 2007-10. He has averaged 8.5 PPG in 19.5 MPG in his first two games since the deal.
Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
The Cavaliers‘ decision to trade Kyle Korver to the Jazz on Wednesday was made because the team wanted to move him while he was still healthy and productive, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Korver has a history of foot issues, most recently causing him to miss two games last month. Korver has been on the market for a while and the Cavs didn’t want to take the chance of another injury derailing a deal.
Cleveland had been hoping to get a first-round pick in exchange for the 37-year-old sharpshooter, Pluto adds, and although several teams were interested in acquiring Korver, no one was willing to part with a first-rounder. Several Cavaliers teammates were upset to lose Korver, who had a 22-point game on Monday.
There’s more news today out of Cleveland:
NOVEMBER 29: The Cavaliers and Jazz have officially issued press releases confirming the trade.
NOVEMBER 28: The Jazz have agreed to trade Alec Burks and two future second-round picks to the Cavaliers in exchange for sharpshooting veteran Kyle Korver, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links). Wojnarowski adds that the picks being sent to Cleveland are Utah’s 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick via the Wizards.
Korver, 37, is averaging 6.8 points on 46.1% shooting from the field and 46.3% from beyond the arc in 15.7 minutes per game so far this season. The 15-year veteran previously played three seasons in Utah, from 2007-10, before signing with the Bulls in the summer of 2010.
Burks, meanwhile, is averaging 8.4 points on 41.2% shooting from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc in an almost identical 15.8 minutes per game. The 27-year-old guard has spent his entire seven-year career in Utah after being drafted 12th overall in 2011.
The Jazz, who have stumbled out of the gate to a disappointing record of 9-12 and currently sit as the 14-seed in the Western Conference, rank 29th in 3-point shooting. The trade for Korver will likely improve upon that figure and open things up for Donovan Mitchell, who has yet to show much improvement upon his scintillating rookie campaign.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes, Korver has a $7.56MM cap hit this season and will earn $7.5MM in 2019-20. But, his salary for next season is only guaranteed for $3.44MM before July 7, 2019. Burks is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $11.54MM.
Under NBA trade rules, the Cavaliers are able to absorb a player whose salary is up to $5MM more than Korver’s salary (i.e. $12.56MM), meaning Burks’ salary of $11.54MM will fit nicely and still keep the Cavs over $4MM under the luxury-tax level. Moreover, the Cavs create an additional $3.44MM in cap space for next season, the amount of Korver’s 2019/20 guarantee, thanks to Burks being on an expiring contract.
The Jazz, meanwhile, will create a $3.98MM trade exception, that figure representing the difference between the two players’ salaries. They’ll have one year from the date of the trade to use that exception to acquire another player, if they so wish.
Earlier today, we relayed how the Cavs were willing to take on long-term salary in exchange for other assets, so being able to get two draft picks and an expiring contract for Korver must feel like a real win for Cleveland’s front office.
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:
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA: