Cavs could have Korver in time for visit to Nets

NEW YORK -- Kyle Korver was scheduled to visit Brooklyn next Tuesday with the Atlanta Hawks.

Plans changed and Korver might suit up Friday for the Cleveland Cavaliers when they open a six-game trip with a visit to the Nets.

The Cavaliers acquired Kyle Korver from Atlanta on Thursday night, but the team has yet to announce it because they have to finish a trade call with the league.

The call will occur Friday, and if it happens in time, Korver could be available by the opening tip.

Korver was traded on the two-year anniversary of Cleveland obtaining Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. Coincidentally, Smith's thumb surgery that will sideline him until the end of March likely contributed to the deal.

Although the Cavaliers shoot 39 percent from 3-point range and are at 40.9 percent since Smith last played Dec. 20, they shot 25 percent (14 of 56) in their last two games.

Korver was courted by the Cavaliers in free agency after the 2012-13 season and ultimately signed a four-year, $24 million with Atlanta. He helped Atlanta to a 60-win season two years ago and shot 42.5 percent from long range in Cleveland's four-game sweep in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals.

"Obviously, it's a great opportunity for me to go to Cleveland," Korver said after not playing for Atlanta on Thursday night in New Orleans. "I'm very excited about that part, but there's definitely a lot of relationships that care a lot about here that I'm going to miss."

The version of the Cavs that Korver joins is about to embark on a trip that will span 6,500 miles and end with a trip to Golden State on Jan. 16. It also is a team that is less than 100 percent from a health perspective.

Kyrie Irving has missed the last three games with a right hamstring injury and coach Tyronn Lue did not give a timetable for his point guard's return.

Irving is listed as questionable and the Cavs will go with inexperience at point guard for the time being, at least until another trade occurs.

The inexperience at point guard became news when LeBron James pointed it out after Wednesday's 106-94 loss to the Chicago Bulls when the Cavs totaled 13 assists, making their total 46 in the last three games.

Besides Irving's status, Kevin Love is listed as questionable with an illness. Love did not play Wednesday after playing 24 minutes Monday and the Cavs are hopeful that Love can play Friday.

Love lost approximately 10 pounds from food poisoning contracted on the team flight after Saturday's win in Charlotte. He also missed two games with a left knee contusion last month.

Channing Frye started for Love and scored 15 points Wednesday, but he also has been impacted by the illness, which also impacted James.

"It's something that's going around," Lue said. Channing's really sick, Kevin's sick and now LeBron is sick. So hopefully it doesn't continue to spread."

James, however, was forceful in asserting he will play through it while expressing frustration at the injuries and illnesses.

"It can (wear on you)," James said "It's just tough. It's slowing up our process because of what we're trying to build."

James and the Cavs beat the Nets by 20 two weeks ago at home in a game they led by as much 46. The Cavs are 7-2 against the Nets since James returned to the team in 2014, but one of those losses is credited for spurring them to an eventual championship.

The Cavs were handed a nine-point loss in Brooklyn on March 24 when James scored 30 points but went scoreless in the fourth quarter. It led to a team meeting where Lue implored more aggressiveness out of the Cavs.

Brooklyn's last home win over Cleveland was its penultimate of a 21-win season. The Nets ended last year with 10 straight losses and is on pace for a similar record this season.

Since a 4-5 start after a win at Phoenix, the Nets are 4-21. Brooklyn has allowed more than 100 points in each loss and more than 120 in eight losses, and sustained 14 double-digit losses.

The latest was Thursday's 121-109 loss at Indiana where the Nets struggled for production from their starting lineup. Trevor Booker scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, but the other four starters combined for 32 points on 13 of 36 from the field.

"The starters took us out early and there was a big difference," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We came out like mush for some reason."

Nets center Brook Lopez said, "We have to realize we're playing for each other. We have to hold ourselves and each other accountable. We don't want to let our team down so we have to go out there, play with a chip on our shoulder, play with energy, be aggressive and just keep battling."

The Nets will be playing their second of three games in a span of about 89 hours since Sunday's game against Philadelphia is a noon tip. Jeremy Lin will miss his fifth straight game with a second strained left hamstring and 23rd overall because of injury.

Brooklyn is 5-17 when Lin does not play and the Nets are also hopeful Rondae Hollis-Jefferson can suit up after sitting Thursday with right hip tendinitis.