Kyle Korver
The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver. Reuters/Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Several NBA teams are slowly engaging in trade talks with other teams to boost their respective bids for a playoff spot this year. According to the latest trade rumours, two Eastern Conference contenders are looking to add key players who could help them stay in the competition.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat have hit the rumour mill again as both teams are reportedly searching for possible acquisitions in the trade market. According to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst, the Cavs are showing interest in Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver, while the Miami Herald tipped that the Heat are trying to deal for Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi.

The Cavs are currently at the top of the East with a 37-14 record. However, Lebron James and company are having a hard time fending off elite teams like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, triggering the need to improve their roster.

According to Michael Saenz of Sports Illustrated’s Fansided, acquiring Korver would be ideal for the Cavs, who only have JR Smith and Kevin Love as legitimate threats beyond the arc. Adding Korver, who has a career-high 42 percent from the three point territory, gives Cleveland a knockdown shooter to rival Warriors’ Splash brothers and Spurs’ sharp-shooting bench.

“Acquiring a player like Korver would be ideal for Cleveland,” Saenz wrote. “Even though he’s not the best defender, he’s a knockdown shooter. And he’s a player that could be maximised by LeBron’s talents.”

The Cavs have very limited pieces to offer the Hawks, who are probably looking for quality players in return, but one possible trade scenario that works in ESPN’s trade machine is sending big man Timofey Mozgov in exchange for Korver, wherein Cleveland could use Brendan Haywood’s $5 million trade exception. However, it is unlikely the Hawks would accept a deal with only Mozgov as the trade piece, so the Cavs will have to get creative in putting up a package for Korver.

Meanwhile, the Heat cannot afford to stay stagnant with their current lineup, considering how the East has shaped up into a tough conference. Miami is currently 29-24 at fifth place, and the team would certainly love to address their shooting problem by bringing in Casspi.

According to Chris Wittyngham, host of The Ticket in Miami, the Heat are trying to acquire Casspi at the expense of Tyler Johnson.

Johnson could miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn rotator cuff on his left shoulder, but the rookie still has the potential to be a talented top player, and the Kings are probably thinking of securing a young piece for the next season. However, with the Kings looking for help now, it is highly unlikely Johnson is the player they will want to acquire.

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