Tag: Mo Williams (Page 7 of 7)

Cavs acquire Mo Williams via trade

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.

Cavs pursuing Mo Williams?

This is one of those rumor-of-a-rumor stories, but the Cavs could be talking with the Bucks about point guard Mo Williams.

A league source said the Cavs might be pursuing Bucks point guard Mo Williams. All the details aren’t known, but the Cavs, Bucks and Oklahoma City (formerly Seattle) are reportedly involved.

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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