Report: Cavs contact Chalmers, Cole, Hinrich to replace Williams
Mo Williams deciding to retire after telling the world he would play out his final year has left the Cleveland Cavaliers in quite the predicament, albeit one they've prepared for should the worst-case scenario unfold.
Management was reportedly in contact with Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, and Kirk Hinrich over the summer concerning potential backup roles, a source told Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon.
"Throughout the summer ... it was in debate on what Mo was going to choose to do," Cavs general manager David Griffin said Monday during the team's Media Day. "He vacillated a little bit, and so we were planning on this eventuality throughout."
With Williams out of the picture, the Cavaliers are left with rookie Kay Felder (54th pick) as the only point guard to play behind three-time All-Star Kyrie Irving. There's reportedly no rush to sign one of the aforementioned free-agent guards, though, as the team is willing to let Felder work his way through training camp to see if he can handle the role.
Also, considering Cleveland's financial situation, all they could offer is the veteran's minimum as they're already approximately $22 million over the salary cap.
2015-16 Statistics
| Player | G | MPG | PPG | FG% | 3P% | APG | TOV | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Chalmers | 61 | 22.5 | 10.3 | 41 | 30.9 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 17.3 |
| Norris Cole | 45 | 26.5 | 10.6 | 40.5 | 32.4 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 10.8 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 46 | 13.7 | 3 | 38 | 38.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 7.2 |
(courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
Chalmers and Cole would seem like the logical choices should a move be made, as both were teammates of LeBron James when he won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
Regardless, Griffin isn't worried about his team's ability to handle the blow of losing Williams, who would forfeit the $2.2 million he's owed should he file his retirement papers with the league.
"We feel very comfortable with where we are at the point guard position, the versatility that we have to absorb that," Griffin added. "We have other people that can guard the position. Because of LeBron, we have additional people that can also play the position offensively, and frankly we're really excited about finding out what some of the younger players on our roster can do.
"This is a training camp that for the first time since I've been here I think will be incredibly competitive, relative to roster spots themselves, and we're really excited about the guys that we have in camp who have a chance to earn a job."