Korver at same hotel as his former teammates

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz swingman Kyle Korver admitted before Wednesday night's game with the 76ers that the shock had not worn off yet.

On Saturday, the Sixers sent Korver to Utah for Gordan Giricek (and his expiring $4 million contract) plus a future first-round pick.

"No, I'm still in shock, and it doesn't help that I saw them (Tuesday) night," Korver said during a shoot-around Wednesday at Energy Solutions Arena. "It's strange, and it hasn't set in."

Korver saw his former teammates Tuesday when they arrived in Utah. The Sixers were at the same hotel that Korver stays in, and he went out to dinner with a few of his former teammates.

"It looked so weird seeing him in that Jazz sweatsuit," said Sixers guard Willie Green, who was one of Korver's best friends on the team.

When the Sixers' bus arrived, Korver was sitting in the hotel lobby.

"It was strange seeing him there," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, who is fighting the flu. "But that is life in the NBA."

Giricek, who had requested a trade because of a rocky relationship with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, had a different take on facing his former team.

"I want to treat this like any other game," he said. "I have been in this situation before and know how to handle it."

This is the first time that Korver, 26, has experienced being traded. Now in his fifth NBA season, he was immensely popular with his teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans of Philadelphia.

Korver says he has always kept his emotions in check, but he admitted it has been a difficult task over the last few days.

"I try to live a relatively drama-free life, but the last couple of days, the emotions have been up and down quite a bit," he said. "I've never experienced something like this."

While he was sad to leave Philadelphia, where he had become a fixture in the community, Korver says being with the Jazz, last year's Western Conference finalist, is a great opportunity.

He got off to a good start in his debut, scoring 11 points in under 18 minutes Sunday in Utah's 111-101 win over Portland, a game that snapped the Trail Blazers' 13-game winning streak. Korver received a standing ovation as he checked into the game for the first time midway through the second quarter.