Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Point Guards That Could Replace Mo Williams
Mo Williams might consider retiring in the upcoming weeks. What current point guards could be his replacement?
Say it ain’t so Mo!
According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Mo Williams is possibly considering retiring from the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA.
The reason that Williams is considering retirement is due to problems with his knees. He missed significant time last season due to those issues.
When he originally signed back with the Cavaliers, the thought was that he would be the backup to Kyrie Irving once Irving recovered from his surgically repaired knee.
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But issues with his left knee and inconsistent play led to Matthew Dellavedova taking Williams’ spot.
He averaged 8.2 points and only 2.4 assists per game–which was his second-lowest average in his career–last season.
Vardon also mentioned how Williams’ desire to coach could be another reason he is considering retirement. The Cavaliers have until Wednesday to exercise the stretch payment deadline with his contract, but are waiting to see if they can find a potential trade partner to take on his contract.
It’s quite surprising to most fans since he immediately picked up his $2.2 million option once the NBA Finals ended. He played a big role in Games 6 and 7 giving the Golden State Warriors a different look, and hitting a few important shots.
Williams spent three years with the club during his first stint. He was an All-Star in 2008 averaging a career-high in points at 17.8 points and 4.1 assist per game. He became the emotional leader for the team after LeBron James went to the Miami Heat.
However, during the middle of that season in 2010, he got traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Baron Davis, and a 2011 first-round pick–which would turn out to be Irving. He went on to play for four different teams until returning to the Cavs last season.
Now, the big question is, who will replace Williams if he goes through with the retirement?
As the roster currently stands, if the season were to start today, rookie Kay Felder would be the backup to Irving. James, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith (if he re-signs) and Jordan McRae can all play point guard, but it’s not their natural position.
Felder did have some good moments during Summer League, but he still has a ways to go before he’s looked upon in that important role.
With only a few more days until the stretch period, the Cavaliers will have to look to potentially trade Williams. Here are five point guards that could replace him if he retires:
Next: 5. Kirk Hinrich