The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have been very active thus far this offseason. They re-signed Kevin Love, and are reportedly pursuing Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford.
The Cavs added to their backcourt depth today, signing Mo Williams.
From Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski:
Free agent guard Mo Williams has reached agreement with the Cavaliers, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
Despite adding a backup point guard, the Cavs still intend to sign guards Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. From Stein:
Sources say Cavs remain intent on signing restricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova.
Early indications are Cavs likewise have NOT abandoned JR Smith pursuit. They seem intent on keeping whole band together. And adding to it
The Cavs are going to have a lot of money due to their players. They still hope to sign Tristan Thompson and LeBron James, both of whom will want very sizable contracts. It wouldn’t make much sense at this point for Cleveland to target both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford. After all, they already have Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert, Mo Williams, and will likely have J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova as well. That’s already a crowded backcourt, and there isn’t enough playing time for those five and Johnson and Crawford.
Signing Mo Williams was a good move for Cleveland. He played there from 2008-2011 — playing with LeBron James prior to his departure to Miami. Williams will bring good scoring and playmaking skills off the bench, backing up Kyrie Irving. The Cavs are trying to retain their core and build their depth. This is the logical next step, since they have one of the most talented starting 5s in the league, and they fell in the finals to an exceptionally deep Warriors team.
