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Report: Cavaliers' Williams 'strongly' considering retirement

Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

This past season marked the first championship-winning campaign for Mo Williams, and possibly his last year in the NBA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is "strongly" considering retirement, multiple sources told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

Williams is owed approximately $2.2 million in the upcoming season, after picking up the player option on his two-year, $4.3-million deal signed last offseason.

With a current payroll of $117.6 million - which exceeds the league's luxury tax threshold - Cleveland could decrease the tax penalty on Williams' contract by waiving him ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline, allowing the organization to pay his remaining salary over a three-year period, Vardon notes.

The 33-year-old was sidelined for half of the 2015-16 regular season with a lingering knee injury. In a predominantly reserve role, Williams averaged 8.2 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 rebounds over 41 games.

Vardon's sources point to those knee woes, along with Williams' aspirations to both coach and go out as a champion, as factors in his decision. The sources also indicate that the Cavs are still undecided about whether they'll waive the 13-year vet, as they could look to trade him.

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