In the era of superteams, the NBA is an arms race, and the rich could soon be getting even richer.
With the league's trade deadline about a month away, the defending champion Cavaliers are reportedly on the verge of adding one of the league's most lethal snipers to its roster.
Vertical Sources with @ShamsCharania: Atlanta is finalizing a deal to send guard Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 6, 2017
UPDATE: Wojnarowski later reported that Cavs wing Mike Dunleavy could be part of the deal. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Atlanta will receive Dunleavy and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. Dunleavy is not expected to remain with the Hawks.
The 6-7 Korver, a 13-year veteran, is averaging 9.5 points while shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range, good enough for 24th in the league. He also averages 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists for Atlanta (19-16).
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Korver was named an all-star two years ago; that season, he finished third behind the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson with 221 triples in helping the Hawks earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and Gregg Popovich disciple Mike Budenholzer earn NBA Coach of the Year honors.
The Creighton product would be a welcomed addition to a Cavs roster that already includes long-range specialists Channing Frye, the league's second-leading 3-pointer shooter at 46.5 percent; Kyrie Irving (42 percent); Kevin Love (39.7); and Iman Shumpert (37.5). Four-time MVP LeBron James is shooting 37.5 percent from deep, his best clip since the 2013-2014 season. The Cavs are also expecting guard J.R. Smith (36.2 percent), who's out with a broken thumb, to return for the playoff run.
Cleveland, which, coincidentally, set an NBA record with it nailed 25 3-pointers in Game 2 of its Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Hawks last season, are second in 3-point field goal percentage behind the Spurs.
UPDATE: Korver addressed the pending trade with the media after the Hawks' game in New Orleans on Thursday night. He said Budenholzer informed him before the game. Korver was held out against the Pelicans.
"There's definitely mixed emotions. There's a lot of hard ties to Atlanta, for a lot of reasons," he said. "A lot of friendships, relationships. It's where I had my best basketball (seasons), honestly. It's where I had all my kids, so it's hard to leave that behind.
"Obviously it's a great opportunity for me to go to Cleveland, so I'm very excited about that part, but there's a lot of relationships that I care a lot about here and that I'm going to miss."
Sporting News' Tom Gatto contributed to this report.