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Korver mulling retirement: 'There's a real cost as you get older'

Melissa Majchrzak / National Basketball Association / Getty

Kyle Korver is thinking about ending his 16-year career.

The 38-year-old sharpshooter, who was traded midway through this past season from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz, has a partially guaranteed year remaining on his contract. But the veteran told reporters on Thursday he may walk away from the game this summer instead.

"There's a real cost as you get older," he said, according to the Deseret News' Ryan McDonald. "There's what you need to put into the game, but there's also a family cost. That's probably where I'm at is weighing that cost."

Korver noted he could still return next season. He'll make the decision after conferring with his family.

"If there's juice left, I'd still love to do it," he added. "We'll find out."

The New Jersey Nets used their second-round pick on Korver in 2003, and he was immediately shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers for cash. Following four-and-a-half seasons in Philadelphia, he landed in Utah for his first stint with the Jazz before signing with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent in 2010.

Korver then joined the Atlanta Hawks in 2012 and later earned his first and only All-Star nomination with the team during the 2014-15 season.

Alongside DeMarre Carroll, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, and Paul Millsap, he was a key piece in one of the NBA's best starting lineups, and the five players helped the Hawks reach the Eastern Conference finals in 2015. Then LeBron James and the Cavaliers swept Atlanta.

Two seasons later, Cleveland acquired Korver in a trade, but the team fell to the Golden State Warriors in back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals.

Whenever he calls it quits, Korver will go down as one of the game's greatest three-point shooters. His 2,351 made three-point shots rank fourth on the all-time leaderboard, behind only Ray Allen (2,973), Reggie Miller (2,560), and Stephen Curry (2,483).

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