Kyle Korver wanted out of Cleveland as soon as LeBron James announced he was not re-signing with the Cavaliers, but that does not mean the sharpshooter’s teammates were indifferent about seeing him go this week.
Korver was traded to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday as the Cavs were warming up before their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports that the deal came together so quickly that the 37-year-old didn’t even have an opportunity to say goodbye to his teammates, many of whom are “upset” that Korver is no longer with the team.
Multiple Cavs players are upset with the trading of Korver, insofar as this is a team with very little outside shooting. Korver’s only averaging 6.8 points per game, but he’s still shooting .463 from the outside and is one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history. Subtracting him from the team only makes it harder to win games, they feel.
It’s natural for players to be irritated when a teammate they feel can help them win games is traded, but should anyone in Cleveland’s locker room be surprised? The Cavs are 4-16 and appear committed to losing this season.
As Vardon noted, Korver met his wife in Salt Lake City and played for the Jazz from 2007-2010. The Cavs did him the courtesy of trading him to a place where his family will be comfortable, so they made up for not immediately parting ways with him when LeBron skipped town. Still, given some of the comments we heard JR Smith make about the team recently, any added frustration for Cavs players has the potential to create issues.
