With Kyle Korver officially being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s time for NBA Trade Grades for the defending champs, the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers.
It’s official: The defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired yet another cheat code that could be a huge help in a potential NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron James is already as much of a cheat code as any team could ask for, but with the addition of sharpshooter Kyle Korver, a potent three-point offense just got even more dangerous.
The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania initially reported on Thursday that the Cavs were finalizing a deal for Korver that would send Mike Dunleavy to the Atlanta Hawks.
Last week, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst reported that the Hawks were open to dealing Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha for the right price, since they were all approaching free agency this summer.
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Atlanta did not look like a team capable of contending with Cleveland for the Eastern belt, and the Hawks feared losing their free agents for nothing like they did with Al Horford last summer.
There are several ripple effects worth examining from the Korver trade, but for now, it’s time to take a look at the two teams directly impacted by it — including a third team that helped the Cavs facilitate their move.
Here’s the official trade, which Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported was official Saturday morning:
The Hawks will still search for a third team to take on Dunleavy, but will keep him if they can’t find a taker.
As for the first round pick being sent Atlanta’s way, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that it will be top-10 protected in 2019, top-10 protected in 2020 and then after that, will convert into two second-rounders (2021 and 2022).
In the interest of breaking it all down, here’s a look at NBA Trade Grades for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers.