NBA trade rumors 2017: Atlanta Hawks trades Kyle Korver to Cleveland Cavaliers before Feb. 23 deadline

(Reuters/ Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)Seen in photo is Atlanta Hawks' Kyle Korver during the first quarter in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena.

It's six weeks away from the NBA trade deadline and the Atlanta Hawks have secured their need by trading their key player Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Mike Dunleavy and Mo Williams. Interestingly, the Hawks just gave away one of their strongest players to their greatest contender for the past two years, which has resulted to some fans raising their eyebrows in disapproval.

Some of the known movable players in the NBA this season heard in discussions include 31-year-old Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings' small forward Rudy Gay, Evan Turner of Portland Trail Blazers, 26-year-old Ricky Rubio from Spain who is currently playing for Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets' small forward Danilo Gallinari. It is believed that the whole NBA league would benefit greatly if a massive reshuffling of talented players take place.

Other names that have repeatedly cropped up this trade season include 26-year-old DeMarcus Cousins of Sacramento Kings, Paul George of Indiana Pacers, and Jimmy Butler of Chicago Bulls. These three names are considered to be trade-worthy investments in the league. However, it is believed that Cousins and George are not going anywhere this season and will remain in their respective teams.

A report by Forbes named several players as the most likely to get traded before the deadline arrives. The list includes the names of Blake Griffin of Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings' Cousins and Gay, Rajon Rondo of Chicago Bulls, and Millsap of Atlanta Hawks.

Millsap, however, told ESPN that the Hawks management talked to him and assured him that he will not be traded before the Feb. 23 deadline of the trade season. "Now everybody can stop talking about it," Millsap said in an interview. "I can stop thinking about it and just focus on basketball."

In the same interview, he also added that staying with Atlanta until the end of the season was what he had in mind all this time. "For me and my team, for us to really do something, I think that all the rumors have got to stop. I think we are at a good place right now during the season and our main focus is basketball and winning and winning big."

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