Skip to content

Report: Cavaliers 'highly skeptical' Mo Williams would return

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Mo Williams made noise last week about potentially retiring from the NBA, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are worried he's going to follow through with that plan.

Cleveland opted against using the stretch provision on Williams, but the team is "highly skeptical" that Williams would return, sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

Given that the Cavaliers are facing the proposition of paying an exorbitant luxury tax bill, waiving Williams' modest $2.2 million contract for 2016-17 could have translated to significant savings.

Related: Cavaliers to pay the price for championship contention

Indeed, Vardon notes that the team did weigh the possibility of waiving Williams, but ultimately decided to retain the 13-year veteran.

It ultimately boils down to a lack of depth at the point guard position. Having lost Matthew Dellavedova in free agency, Williams represents the only credible backup to injury-prone starter Kyrie Irving. The only other point guard on the roster is undrafted rookie Kay Felder, who will be hard-pressed to contribute for a championship defending roster.

Should the Cavaliers lose Williams to retirement, finding a reliable backup would be practically impossible, as the team is left with the veteran's minimum to sift through the bargain bin. The Cavaliers might have to settle for the likes of Donald Sloan, Norris Cole, or a battered Mario Chalmers coming off an Achilles tear.

Limited by knee and thumb injuries, Williams only played 41 games last season. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.4 assists in 18.2 minutes per game, while hitting 35.3 percent from deep.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox