Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver. (Photo : Getty Images)
Recent rumors have emerged that the Cleveland Cavaliers are eyeing Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Kyle Korver less than a week before this year's trade deadline as the team reportedly looks for an additional "off-ball threat" in preparation for the upcoming 2016 postseason.
Fansided, citing ESPN Cleveland's Brian Windhorst, indicated that the 34-year-old three-point shooter "has the interest" of the defending Eastern champs as the Hawks are also said to be "selling off pieces" in a planned rebuild.
Franchise player LeBron James is known to rely on three-point shooters to create space for himself in offense. He has won two NBA titles using the formula and he is perhaps pushing the club to make trades for more shooters before the deadline passes.
Right now, the Cavs have only been relying on J.R. Smith and James Jones to provide the shots from beyond-the-arc and the duo are certainly not enough for them to dominate opponents in the way they want.
The report also said that Korver could provide good defense despite being a less athletic player as he is a smart defender who has high on-court awareness, especially when helping from the weak side.
However, it is noted that Korver's highly accurate three-point shooting is the main reason why the Cavs want him, as it is "the key asset for the Cavaliers to place into their offense as an off-ball threat".
Fox Sports reported that Cleveland's interest on Korver is not surprising aside from their noticeable need, but because they are not the only team who is luring the 13-year pro away from Atlanta.
The Hawks are said to be planning a massive roster overhaul, putting their top three players on the trading block, namely Al Horford, Jeff Teague, and Korver, as they are presently on a disappointing 2015-2016 campaign.
Atlanta finished last season on top of the East with a 60-22 record. This season, though, they are not that dominating as they are drifting at the no. 4 spot with a 31-24 slate.
While it is still a decent accomplishment as compared to other teams, the Hawks are expected to duplicate their previous magical season and team officials are perhaps not settling for a mediocre finish after that.
