Offseason Movement: The Cavs swung a good deal by trading Damon Jones and Joe Smith (to the Bucks and Thunder, respectively) for Mo Williams, a dynamic scoring point guard who can also pass the ball (17.2 ppg, 6.3 apg). It’s not clear just how much he’ll get to handle the ball, but the Cavs would be wise to let him take some of the offensive load off of LeBron. Williams was basically a salary dump by the Bucks, who just signed him to a long deal in the summer of 2007, so the Cavs are rolling the dice that he’s worth the dough.
Keep Your Eye On: LeBron’s mood
We’re still two years away, but the time is drawing near. LeBron can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2010, which gives the Cavs two years to make some serious progress. It’s possible that he’ll make his decision after this season, and barring a huge season for the Cavs in 2009-10, he may bolt for Brooklyn or some other destination. The Cavs would like the media to stop talking about this possibility, but the ticking clock is only going to get louder and louder.
The Big Question: Is this team good enough to make a run?
I like the Mo Williams trade, but there’s no guarantee that he and LeBron will jive. The Cavs have a nice yet unexciting roster. Delonte West and Daniel Gibson bring some backcourt punch off the bench, Wally Szczerbiak may or may not have anything left in the tank and Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas make for an aging (and slow) frontcourt. Chemistry will be key.
Outlook: Barring an injury to LeBron, the Cavs will make the playoffs, but how deep will they go? With the Celtics still the cream of the crop in the East, with Philly adding Elton Brand, with Toronto adding Jermaine O’Neal, with the Heat adding Shawn Marion and Michael Beasley, it’s not going to be a cakewalk. I don’t know what it’s like in Cleveland, but from afar, I just get this overwhelming feeling of dread surrounding LeBron’s future. Another Finals appearance might be the only thing that can quiet the pessimists.
Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers (Page 52 of 53)
Dan Gilbert doesn’t like the speculation that LeBron James is going to leave Cleveland when his contract is up in two years.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert says the speculation that LeBron James will leave Cleveland in two years is out of line and “an insult to the city.”
Gilbert says it’s nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters.
He says James has given no indication that he plans to leave for New York after his contract expires in 2010.
Okay, Mr. Gilbert, we “bored sports reporters” will just sit here and pretend that there isn’t a giant ticking clock on LeBron’s stay in Cleveland. I’m sure he’ll re-sign if, in two years, the Cavs are still a middle-of-the-road playoff team in the East, and there’s every indication that they will be.
Which is a bigger insult to Cleveland – speculating about a possible LeBron departure or pretending that it won’t happen?
The trade for Mo Williams might have meant the end for Delonte West’s tenure in Cleveland. On Friday, the Cavs made sure that didn’t happen.
Guard Delonte West signed a multiyear deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, ending concerns the restricted free agent would hold out at training camp.
General Manager Danny Ferry didn’t disclose terms of the deal Friday.
The 25-year-old West will compete for time with Mo Williams, the former Milwaukee guard who was Cleveland’s major offseason acquisition, and Daniel Gibson, another Cleveland restricted free agent who signed back with the team.
I think the idea is for Williams, West and Gibson to play in a three-guard rotation in Cleveland’s backcourt. All three players are capable of playing both point and off guard, so they could make for a potent rotation.
It’s interesting that the Cavs elected not to disclose the terms of the deal. I think there should be a rule that teams have to report the length and value of the contract when they announce the signing.
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have found LeBron’s sidekick… Mo Williams.
Mo Williams, the high-scoring point guard from Milwaukee, will go to Cleveland in the deal, which should be announced later Wednesday.
The 6-foot-1 Williams averaged 17.2 points and a team-high 6.3 assists for the Bucks last season.
Cleveland will send shooting guard Damon Jones to Milwaukee and forward Joe Smith to Oklahoma City.
Milwaukee also will get point guard Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin from Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, also gets Desmond Mason, the athletic small forward, from the Bucks.
I know there are many Bucks fans celebrating this move. A lot of people don’t like Mo’s game since he’s not a pass-first point guard. But he was 16th in the league in assists (6.3), and he’s a terrific scorer (17.2 ppg) and a pretty good rebounder (3.5 rpg) for a point guard. He’s sort of a poor man’s Gilbert Arenas. He’s not a terribly good defender, but since leaving the Jazz a few years ago, he hasn’t been around a defensive-minded coach. If Mike Brown can get some defense out of him, he could turn Williams into an All-Star caliber player. I love this trade for the Cavs.
And, as a Bucks fan, I hate this trade for Milwaukee. Luke Ridnour? Really? That’s the best you can do for a guy who averaged 17 points and six assists last season? Bucks GM John Hammond made some nice moves this offseason, but I don’t like this trade one bit.
This is one of those rumor-of-a-rumor stories, but the Cavs could be talking with the Bucks about point guard Mo Williams.
If Williams is headed to the Cavs, however, would Delonte West be included in such a deal? He’s a restricted free agent who has been a regular at Cleveland Clinic Courts for much of the summer. It wouldn’t make any sense to have Williams and West on the same roster since both expects to be starters.
Some have questioned how Redd would have fit in with superstar LeBron James. The same questions could be asked about Williams, who is a prolific scorer who is used to getting his shots.
He’s shredded the Cavs over the years. He’s not known as being a top defender, even though he boasts quickness and speed.
He averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 assists and shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the 3-point arc last season.
I love these stories. The Cavs “might” be pursuing Mo Williams? That could be said about any player and any team.
Anyway, as a Bucks fan, I’d really like to see how Mo and Michael Redd respond to new head coach Scott Skiles before jettisoning either of them. Neither is a great defender, but if Skiles can at least get them to put forth the necessary effort on that end of the court, the Bucks would quickly become a playoff contender.
From the Cavs point of view, Mo would be a pretty nice fit. He’s a terrific scorer and a capable playmaker, and his salary isn’t bad for the production he brings.
8/12 Update: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Bucks Blog is reporting that a three-way deal (involving the Cavs) for Mo is indeed in the works. Reportedly, the Bucks are targeting Luke Ridnour of the newly-founded Oklahoma City franchise. I’m not sure what the Bucks are thinking here, unless they are certain that Scott Skiles and Mo Williams can’t co-exist. Ridnour has proven to be a backup in this league, and while he’s a pass-first point guard, he isn’t known at all for his defense.
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