Atlanta Hawks

5 ripple effects of the Kyle Korver trade to Cleveland Cavaliers

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:58 p.m. ET

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Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

With Kyle Korver set to join the Cleveland Cavaliers, here’s a look at the ripple effects for them, the Atlanta Hawks and the rest of the NBA.

The final details are still being worked out, but here’s what we know: The Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Hawks that will send sharpshooter Kyle Korver to the defending champs for…well, very little in return.

As first reported by The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, the Cavs will acquire Korver by sending their 2019 first round draft pick and Mike Dunleavy to Atlanta. The Cavs and Hawks are searching for a third team to take on Dunleavy, but if one is unable to be found, Atlanta will just keep him.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers will be sending their 2017 first round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in a separate deal. The Blazers will return Cleveland’s 2018 first-rounder to the Cavs.

That separate move allows Cleveland to send its 2019 first round pick to Atlanta in the Korver swap, avoiding the NBA’s Ted Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading their own first round draft picks in consecutive seasons. General manager David Griffin managed to Step-ien around the Stepien rule, as it were.

In such a seemingly complicated deal involving one playoff-caliber team and one championship-caliber team, there are bound to be ripple effects. With Kyle Korver set to join the Cavs, it’s time to take a look at the five biggest ones.

Nov 25, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) sits on the bench during a time out in the second half against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 95-68. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

5. Paul Millsap Is All But Gone

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst reported that the Hawks were open to trading Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha — all set to become free agents this summer — for the right offer.

With Atlanta’s front office afraid of losing them this offseason for nothing — like they did last summer with Al Horford — it makes sense to consider blowing up a team that has no shot at finally getting over that LeBron James-sized hump in the East.

Korver is likely the first domino to fall in what may quickly become a Hawks fire sale.

Though Millsap is 31 years old and expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to join free agency this summer, he is sure to be in high demand on the trade market as one of the most complete, underrated two-way players in the game.

There are plenty of potential trade scenarios that could unfold before the Feb. 23 deadline, but the Hawks wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on Korver if they weren’t positioning themselves for a rebuild.

Though the Hawks currently sit at fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, they have very little hope of challenging the Cavs, Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics in the playoffs. The next domino to fall should be Millsap, allowing them to capitalize on his current value and accept their reality as a franchise in need of a rebuild.

Nov 15, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (left) talks with Hawks guard Kyle Korver (right) during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

4. D-12 Gone Too?

Kyle Korver is gone. Paul Millsap will probably be next. But what about hometown hero Dwight Howard, who just signed in Atlanta this past summer for three years and $70.5 million?

Howard’s homecoming was a happy story when the Hawks started the season off 9-2 and it looked like they’d be a top contender in the East. But since then, they’ve posted an 11-14 record, including a stretch where they lost 10 of 11 games.

It’s a bit odd to see a team situated at fourth in the conference standings start blowing it up, but with Korver gone and Millsap likely to follow him in the coming weeks, it’s entirely possible Atlanta probes the market for a Dwight Howard deal as well.

After all, when asked about the Korver trade and the direction of the team, D-12’s response was less than comforting.

A fire sale is coming Hawks fans, and as happy as everyone was to see Dwight Howard playing for his hometown team, there’s a distinct possibility he’s made available to playoff teams hoping to bolster their rebounding and rim protection for a postseason run (looking at you, Boston Celtics).

Dec 29, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 124-118. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

3. The Pressure Is On For Toronto And Boston

Speaking of the Celtics, there’s an undeniable amount of pressure on them and the Toronto Raptors to make a big move before the trade deadline if they want to seriously challenge Cleveland for the Eastern belt.

With a Big Three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love — all of whom are arguably playing the best basketball of their Cleveland careers — it’s unlikely the Celtics or Raptors knock off the Cavs, regardless of what moves they make.

But with Boston in need of a game-changing big to pull down boards and defend the rim, and Toronto still lacking a star power forward to round out their starting five, the Cavaliers have a vice grip on the conference. By adding Korver to bolster their depth, the Cavs have put even more pressure on their top Eastern adversaries to make a blockbuster move.

For the Celtics, they could get involved in the Paul Millsap sweepstakes to reunite Atlanta’s frontcourt alongside Al Horford. They could hope Bleacher Report’s Rich Bucher was right about Jimmy Butler being available, they could pray Sacramento abandons its playoff pursuit and deals DeMarcus Cousins, or they could make a more low-key move for rim protection with someone like Tyson Chandler.

For the Raptors, Paul Millsap is really the only potential game-changer out there, but working out a deal for him could be challenging. Toronto would need to find a way to meet Atlanta’s demands for their best player, without gutting the team of its vaunted depth or giving up too much for a rental in the event Millsap signs elsewhere in free agency.

No matter what, the Korver acquisition made the rich even richer. For the Celtics or Raptors to keep up, these two bands of merry brothers are going to have to steal something valuable Robin Hood-style. It’s really the only way peasants will truly challenge the King.

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shows emotion against the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 114-112 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

2. Expect Korver To Bounce Back

Maybe “bounce back” is a bit strong, since Kyle Korver isn’t really having a bad season. But with the Hawks bringing the 35-year-old off the bench, it’s become pretty clear that he’s a step slow defensively and not quite what he once was, especially compared to the Korver we saw in 2014-15 when Atlanta won 60 games.

That season, Korver averaged 12.1 points per game on blistering .487/.492/.898 shooting splits en route to his first All-Star appearance and the conference finals. By comparison, Korver is averaging just 9.5 points per game on .441/.409/.889 shooting splits this year.

Obviously, shooting just under 41 percent from three-point range is still excellent. It’s the main reason Cleveland acquired him. But with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving facilitating to so many shooters on the perimeter, you can expect Korver to be as dangerous as he’s ever been, even in a bench role.

The Cavs won’t expect him to do too much, and even with J.R. Smith sidelined for 10-14 weeks, Korver may not even start. But in a refined role, you can be guaranteed Tyronn Lue and company won’t have to get too creative with getting him wide open looks.

Cleveland currently ranks second in three-point attempts, second in three-point makes and second in three-point percentage. Korver is only going to help those numbers in a three-point heavy offense, and the open looks he’s afforded by LeBron James’ brilliant cross-court passing will remind people he’s still got plenty left in the tank.

Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (32) celebrates with guard Kyrie Irving (2) after dunking against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland defeats Golden State 109-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Cavaliers Just Got That Much Tougher For The Warriors

No offense meant to the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets fans out there, but if the season were to end today, nobody would be picking them to win a seven-game series over the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have the best offense, record and point differential in the NBA, not to mention a top-five defense and four of the best 20 players in the NBA.

After watching Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson meet their kryptonite in the most epic Finals collapse in NBA history, and then watching them face those same demons in a Christmas Day loss, it’s safe to say the Cavaliers currently have the mental edge.

Adding Kevin Durant will obviously make a huge difference come playoff time, but Cleveland actually has the edge in depth this time around. Along with the bonus of being able to play LeBron James 40+ minutes a night in a potential Finals rematch, the Kyle Korver addition makes Cleveland that much more challenging to defend.

Korver would be expected to struggle on the defensive end in a series against an offensive powerhouse like Golden State, but we said the same thing about Kevin Love…right up until the biggest play of his career — “The Stop” in Game 7 — on Steph Curry.

The Cavs have actually been the more potent three-point shooting team this season, just like they were throughout their playoff run last year. The Dubs don’t have anyone who can keep LeBron in front of them in a one-on-one scenario, and with so many shooters flanking him on the perimeter, Golden State will have to pick its poison with double teams, especially when Korver is on the floor.

This is one of the best set shooters in the modern NBA era we’re talking about here. Cleveland is sure to run him off plenty of screens a la Ray Allen, and we all remember the last time King James played alongside a spot-up threat like him.

A core of Curry, KD, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is as good as any in the NBA, and it would be a disappointment for that group to fall short of an NBA title. But with LeBron and Cleveland’s depth holding an important edge, the Cleveland Cavaliers just moved that much closer to another Finals upset and another NBA championship.

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