Kyle Korver was drafted by the Sixers when current Nets GM Billy King was in charge.
Credit: Getty Images
The Nets need a shooter and Deron Williams has found the perfect guy: Kyle Korver.
As reports surfaced late Sunday that Brooklyn was targeting Korver in free agency, the team’s star point guard took to Twitter to recruit him. When the NBA’s free agency period began at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning Williams and new head coach Jason Kidd both began following Korver on Twitter.
Monday morning Williams made his recruitment even more overt.
What do u guys think? Perfect match #bknets #brooklyn http://t.co/cfbCDfwa9t
— Deron Williams (@DeronWilliams) July 1, 2013
He linked to an Instagram photo with Korver photoshopped into a Brooklyn Nets jersey.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that a rival general manager believed the Korver deal was “in the bag.”
Korver, 32, averaged 10.9 points per game in 74 games (60 starts) for the Hawks last season. But more importantly, Korver has always been known as one of the best pure shooters in the league. He shot 45.7 percent from behind the arc last season, the second-highest percentage of his career. The high-volume 3-point shooter is at 41.9 percent in his 10-year career.
The Nets were 17th in the NBA in 3-point percentage in 2012-13 at just 35.7 percent. They were also 24th in free-throw shooting percentage (73.1 percent). Korver is an 87.5 percent free-throw shooter in his career.
The only snag may be with salary. Korver made $5 million last season, while the Nets can only offer the mini mid-level exception of just over $3 million per year for three seasons.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.
