Cavaliers fire the first shot
The Cleveland Cavaliers did not hesitate. They fired the first shot to the NBA in trading for Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks. While that seems like a curious move from the Atlanta Hawks perspective, it certainly does plenty to bolster the Cavaliers strength heading into another playoff run.
In a very well written article by Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver, the move by Cleveland will place tremendous pressure on both Danny Ainge of the Celtics and Masai Ujiri of the Raptors. In short, the gauntlet has been tossed.
"“Now that Cleveland has plucked Kyle Korver from Atlanta, addressing a relatively minor roster weakness, the spotlight brightens on Toronto’s Masai Ujiri and Boston’s Danny Ainge. Will one of these two well-respected, calculating executives finally swing the type of deal (or deals) necessary to truly challenge LeBron James’s run of six consecutive Finals appearances?”"
Momentum has shifted now. Pressure is no longer on Bryan Colangelo to “DO SOMETHING!”. Now, the pressure is on playoff teams who have noticeable weaknesses in their roster.