Cleveland Cavaliers traded Kyle Korver because of the "gentleman’s agreement" involving LeBron James
Kyle Korver is back in Utah, where he spent two and a half seasons back in the 2000s. Korver was traded to the Utah Jazz by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
He will be an excellent addition to the Jazz team, where he can come off the bench and knock down some three-pointers. His contract with Utah will cost them $7.56 million, which is not a very heavy amount.
We all know that Korver did not fit in the Cavs line up, and he was not a part of their rebuilding process either. He had to be traded sooner or later, so this move does not come as a surprise.
But there is something about this trade many people don't know.
Kyle Korver signed with the Cavs in 2017 for a three-year, 22 million deal, and he had a prior agreement with the Cleveland management which involved LeBron James' free agency in the 2018 summer.
According to The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon, Korver's initial move to the Cavs was a part of a gentlemen's agreement. As per this agreement, if LeBron James left Cleveland as a free agent in 2018, then Korver would also request to be traded or opt for a buyout.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have decided to take the rebuilding approach. They have a lot of talent in the team and will have a chance to pick one of the best college prospects in the next year's NBA draft. They surely have a long way to go now.
Utah, on the other hand, needed a sharp-shooter like Korver. He will likely create open spaces for them as well as knock threes himself. They are shooting below average this year, but they now have a chance to improve those numbers.
Korver will also unite with Utah's assistant coach Quin Snyder, who played a significant part in Korver's development during their time at the Atlanta Hawks. That makes this move all the more sensible.