10. Kyle Korver, Cleveland Cavaliers
Even though LeBron James left them as a free agent this summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers clearly fancy themselves playoff contenders. Why else would they sign Kevin Love to a gargantuan four-year, $120.4 million extension weeks after James’ departure?
According to ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski, team owner Dan Gilbert and general manager Koby Altman “have been determined to keep the Cavaliers in the playoff mix, and that plan included keeping Love out of free agency in 2019.”
That’s all well and good, but when reality sinks in by mid-January, a fire sale may commence in Cleveland.
A number of contenders figure to blow up Altman’s phone inquiring about the availability of Kyle Korver, who’s the quintessential deadeye shooter every team would love to add. Korver knocked down 43.6 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and shot 46.0 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s, making him one of the most lethal marksmen throughout the NBA.
The 37-year-old doesn’t factor into Cleveland’s long-term plans, and he’s making an affordable $7.6 million this year and $7.5 million in 2019-20. Only $3.4 million of his salary for next season is guaranteed, too, so any interested suitor in need of cap relief could always waive him next July and save roughly $4.1 million.
If Cleveland can extract a first-round pick from a contender for Korver come January or February, there’s no reason not to make that move. Chasing the eighth seed in the East doesn’t outweigh the potential reward of a first-round steal locked into a dirt-cheap rookie-scale contract for the next four seasons.