Kyle Korver watched from the bench Thursday night as his Atlanta Hawks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, after learning, just before tipoff, that he'd been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In strictly basketball terms, Korver has every reason to be thrilled about the move. He's headed to the reigning champs and overwhelming Eastern Conference favorites, with a great chance to make his first Finals appearance and win a ring in the twilight of his career.
On a personal level, though, Korver was understandably emotional about moving on from the place that's been his NBA home - and the site of his greatest career accomplishments - since 2012.
"Definitely mixed emotions," Korver told reporters after the game. "There's a lot of heart ties to Atlanta, for a lot of reasons. A lot of friendships, relationships. It's where I had my best basketball career, 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 I care a lot about here that I'm gonna miss."
"From a basketball perspective, it's a great, great fit for me," he added. "And I know that."
Meanwhile, the news was no easier to digest for Korver's longtime teammates.
Trades are a part of the business of basketball but the Hawks postgame locker room was as emotional as I've seen.
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) January 6, 2017
Paul Millsap, who's played with Korver for parts of seven seasons between the Hawks and the Utah Jazz, is rumored to be on the block, too. But Millsap wasn't interested in talking about his own tenuous situation after the game.
"Today's not about me," he said, according to ESPN's Justin Verrier. "Today's about Kyle. It's about Kyle leaving. Kyle going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I'm not a selfish guy, so it's not about me. It's not about what's happening to me next. It's about cherishing the time that Kyle has been here, cherishing him being a great teammate."
Korver played 332 games for the Hawks, averaging 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from 3-point range - all his highest marks with any of his four NBA teams.
He made his lone All-Star team in 2014-15, when he helped the Hawks to a franchise-best 60-22 season and their first-ever conference finals berth.
