Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams is strongly considering retiring, sources told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
Williams, a 13-year veteran point guard who returned to Cleveland last summer, won his first ever NBA championship this past June with the franchise. Going out on a high note appeals to him, according to Vardon:
“Sources said his balky knee, desire to coach — especially younger players and children — and the obvious chance to go out as a champion are weighing heavily upon him.”
Aside from going out as a champion, Williams’ well documented knee issues have been a serious thorn for the better part of the last few seasons. The knee injury led to Williams being sidelined for 41 regular-season games with the Cavs last year, the most of his career.
The Cavaliers also have the option of waiving Williams, with the August 31st stretch deadline rapidly approaching, as Joe Vardon explains:
Additionally, the “stretch” deadline in the NBA is approaching, which means that if a player is waived by Aug. 31 (Wednesday), the team can spread his salary out over a period of years — which could lessen the luxury tax penalty Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert will have to pay next summer.
Williams exercised the player’s option in the two-year, $4.3 million contract he signed prior to the start of last season, so the Cavs would owe him about $2.2 million in ’16-17.
The Cavs’ payroll is already $117.6 million — way over the NBA’s $94 million cap and above the luxury-tax threshold of $113.2 million. They have yet to re-sign J.R. Smith or bring in additional player through trade, which will bump the team’s payroll even higher.
Waiving Williams before the Aug. 31 deadline would allow the Cavs to pay him his $2.2 million over a period of three years and lessen his tax burden to the team by several million dollars.
Trading Williams is also an option for the Cavaliers, a source informed Vardon.
Should Mo Williams be waived, traded, or decide to retire, it’d leave the team with only second-round pick Kay Felder as its back-up point guard behind Kyrie Irving.
Mo Williams holds career-averages of 13.2 points, 4.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest in 818 games.
