Jan. 7, 2017 is now a day that Kyle Korver and Mike Budenholzer will always remember. It was supposed to be a normal day, but men's lives, as well as the makeup of two NBA teams, were forever changed.
The Hawks traded their 3-point specialist to the Cavaliers for Mike Dunleavy, the rights to Mo Williams and a 2019 first-round draft pick.
"It was the toughest decision of my career," Budenholzer said. "It was tough enough trading Kyle, and even more trading him to your rival."
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Indeed, the Cavs have been a thorn in the side of the Hawks. Cleveland has eliminated the Hawks for the past two seasons. It's eerily reminiscent to the 1980s when the Dominique Wilkins-led Hawks couldn't get past Larry Bird.
On Friday night, the Hawks saw the all-too-familiar nightmare of an Atlanta franchise coming up a bit short. They gave up an NBA record 25 3-pointers to the Cavs — the second time Cleveland has hit that number against Atlanta — with a former teammate draining the 25th attempt, a dagger which pushed the Cavs' lead to four with a little over a minute to go.
In the NBA, the best deals happen when the teams and players involved all come out well. An even swap rarely happens. There’s normally a clear winner and defined loser. (See every nearly every move by the 76ers.)
So far, it appears the Korver trade has defied the odds.
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Acquiring Korver gives the Cavs one of the best 3-point shooters in NBA history. He provides instant offense off the bench and draws defenders' eyes every time moves without the ball. Among players who attempt at least three catch-and-shoot 3-pointers per game, Korver is tied with Stephen Curry and Allen Crabbe for the second-highest 3-point percentage (45.5) behind only Otto Porter Jr. (46.6), per NBA.com.
With Kyrie Irving and LeBron James driving to the basket and Korver on the perimeter, opposing defenses face a brutal dilemma.
"He's so important to us," James said. "Korver gives us another option to keep defenses honest. You have to pick your poison. If you collapse on me or Kyrie then you're leaving him open. If you pay too much attention to him you already know what it is."
It's rare to hear a shooter complain about being open, but for Korver, it was a bit of an adjustment.
“I was too open,” Korver said. “It took me a minute to get used to it. But this teams needs me to let it fly. So I’ll figure it out.”
Korver struggled to start the season in Atlanta. He shot 40.9 percent from 3-point range in 32 games and ended up losing his starting spot. Playing near the blustery winds off Lake Erie have warmed up Korver's shooting. He's hitting 3-pointers at a 50.3 percent clip.
"It's a new system. It's a much different style of play," Korver said. "I felt like searching out shots a lot more in Atlanta. I was working off screens and moving around a lot. And here you're kinda waiting. Well, not so much waiting, but more than that you're waiting for the ball to come to you. You're waiting for plays to evolve rather than chasing shots."
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The Cavs are 12-5 after losing six of their first eight games with Korver. They have a firm hold on the one seed in the East and may be a Finals favorite depending on the prognosis of Kevin Durant.
After all of that, it seems the trade is a total loss for the Hawks. But not so fast, my friends. The Hawks needed to find more draft picks, and more importantly a chance to allow Tim Hardaway Jr. to flourish with more playing time.
Friday night was a prime example. Hardaway Jr. scored 36 points off the bench to help the Hawks nearly overcome a 25-point deficit.
Sound familiar, Atlanta?
"I worked with Timmy a lot, it was great to see him get buckets like that," Korver said. "I told him to go get all his money. He's earned it."
The Hawks are 35-26 after the tough loss against the Cavs. If the season ended today, the Hawks could see the Cavs for the third consecutive year in the playoffs — this time trying to stop a familiar face.
"It's hard to be mad at (Korver)," Paul Millsap said. "I played with him in Utah and he's such a stand-up guy. He's one of the main reasons I'm in Atlanta today. As much as I want to beat them, I respect how that team operates and it fits Kyle perfectly."
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As the video tribute played and Korver saluted the crowd, it was at that moment he finally got to publicly say goodbye to a very important chapter in his career.
"It felt like a very long road trip," Korver said. "I learned a lot about life and winning here in Atlanta. It was tough to leave, but I have a great opportunity to win here."
Budenholzer misses Korver on and off the court, but he takes solace in doing right by him in the trade.
"We obviously want to beat that team bad," Budenholzer said. "So it's hard to see your brother go there. But, he's got a chance to do something special, which makes it easier. I feel better that he's on a great team."
Sometimes in life, everybody does win. Korver has a shot a championship. The Cavs have a critical piece. And even the Hawks won by getting a pick that could help set the foundation going down the road.