Hoops Habit
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Josh Cornelissen

BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shakes hands with Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics before the game during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 17, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shakes hands with Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics before the game during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 17, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 8
Next
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images /

Keeping Kyle Korver

Last season the Cleveland Cavaliers were searching the league for a shooter to add to their bench unit. At the time of the trade, acquiring Kyle Korver for a player out of the rotation and a pick seemed like a savvy move.

Korver has long been one of the league’s premier sharpshooters, flying around screens and bombing away from beyond the arc. For his career he’s shot 43.1 percent from long range, and ranks fifth all time with 2,049 3-pointers. Three seasons ago the Atlanta Hawks won 60 games and Korver was named an All-Star for his part.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, Korver has begun to show his age in recent seasons. Last season he saw decreases in his non-shooting stats across the board. In other words, his ability to contribute on the court other than shooting is diminishing. Defensively, Korver has dropped off from below average to meaningless, and he was played off the court against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Despite that last point, the Cavaliers felt they needed to re-sign Korver because of the investment they made and their inability to add a replacement. That is probably true, but because of his leverage Korver was able to extract what amounts to a king’s ransom for what he can currently offer. The Cavaliers quickly agreed to a three-year, $22 million contract with the third year partially guaranteed.

During the regular season Korver is a valuable piece, spacing the floor on bench units around LeBron James. But defensively he cannot keep up against the type of players you encounter in the final rounds of the playoffs. A backcourt of Korver and Derrick Rose, for example, couldn’t stay on the court against the Warriors’ bench units.

In an offseason financial climate where proven players are choosing minimum contracts and qualifying offers, paying Korver over $7 million per season does not help this team win a title. Since that’s the bottom line in Cleveland, this was an inevitable but negative signing.

Grade: C+

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers