The Utah Jazz have responded to their disappointing start to the season by securing Kyle Korver as one of the most sought-after players on the trade market. But how does the now 37-year-old sniper fit into the team – and what does the deal mean for the Cleveland Cavaliers? An assessment.
Cavs received: Alec Burks, second round pick 2020, second round pick 2021 (Wizards)
Jazz preserved: Kyle Korver
With some delay, the Cavs made an old promise come true: When Korver extended his deal in Cleveland in the summer of 2017, it was reported that as a “condition” the agreement was made that Cleveland would trade him should LeBron James leave the team. As is well known, this happened in summer 2018, which is why Korver actually expected a deal immediately afterwards.
The fact that it has taken so long shows once again that the Cavs have not started this season with the same line internally. Parts of the franchise hoped for playoff participation, while others had already come to terms with the need for rebuild.
Coach Tyronn Lue fell victim to these different philosophies a few weeks ago and veterans like J.R. Smith, George Hill or Korver saw their game shares dwindle the more it became clear that Cleveland would only play for lottery balls this season. For a few weeks now, the Cavs have been signaling throughout the league that they are accepting offers for their veterans after all.
Despite his 37 years, Korver was one of the biggest assets. With the deal with Utah, Cleveland now has two second round picks and a player back in Burks who guarantees flexibility: his contract expires and can offer salary cap relief. However, they have also acquired his bird rights and can extend with him if that is the preference.
As this trade took place in November, Cleveland Burks is likely to be involved in another trade until the trade deadline of February 7th. This could be important, because the front office around Koby Altman is not finished with his deals yet. A Smith customer has been wanted for weeks, Hill is a trade candidate and other Cavs veterans could also become “available”. So it’s even better to have more assets as “filler material” in your petto.
In the meantime, Burks has added a new addition to the Cavs, which still has some potential despite 27 years of service. Over the last few years, the Guard has been plagued by injuries time and again, and in the internal pecking order it has been replaced by Donovan Mitchell, among others. His last really good (and healthy) season was the 2013/14 season, when he played 78 games with an average of 14 points.
That was a long time ago, but Burks hasn’t forgotten how to score from isolations, and the Cavs should be able to offer him far more opportunities than Utah to use these abilities. This could at least increase his trade value again – or perhaps even play its way into Cleveland’s long-term plans.
Page 1: The Korver-Trade from Cavaliers Perspective
Page 2: The Korver-Trade from a Jazz Perspective