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Hawks trade Kyle Korver to Cavs for Dunleavy, Williams, first round pick

The Hawks have traded Kyle Korver to the Cavs.
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The Atlanta Hawks have traded Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team announced.

The Vertical first reported the news on Thursday. The Hawks will receive a protected first-round pick in 2019, Mike DunleavyJr. and Mo Williams. It remains possible Dunleavy will be traded to another team, according to reports. Williams has said he plans to retire, but has not officially done so, and could be waived or retained.

Korver, an All-Star in 2015 and long one of the league’s preeminent three-point specialists, is averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 40.9% from three this season. He is a career 42% shooter from deep.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to add a player and person the caliber of Kyle Korver to our Cavs family,” said general manager David Griffin. “Among the most prolific and dynamic three-point shooters in NBA history, a selfless, and team first competitor, Kyle brings all of the elements of Cavs DNA that we covet on and off the floor. We look forward to welcoming Kyle, his wife, Juliet and their three children to Northeast Ohio and are certain our fans will embrace them with open arms.”

The Cavs are without J.R. Smith for an extended period of time, and will likely plug Korver in at shooting guard immediately. The defending champs add valuable depth on the perimeter to supplement LeBron James and the rest of the Cavs’ core.

It remains unclear what Cleveland will send back in the deal. The Hawks have been part of trade rumors all week, with Paul Millsap’s name at the forefront. As Atlanta continues to reshape its team, more moves could conceivably be on the way.

The Cavs made a separate trade with the Trail Blazers that involves Cleveland trading this year’s first round selection to Portland and receiving their 2018 first-rounder (which the Blazers own) in return. This enabled the Cavs to send Atlanta their 2019 first round pick rather than their 2020 selection. NBA rules stipulate teams cannot trade first round picks in consecutive years.

— Jeremy Woo