Bucks send Williams to Cavaliers in three-team deal

[xavier]

Cleveland, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City have agreed in principle to a six-player trade that could add a much-needed second scorer to LeBron James' Cavaliers.

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.


"Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term. He is entering his prime NBA years and will be part of the foundation of our future success," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. "His ability to push the tempo, get inside the lane, shoot from the perimeter and distribute the ball will be very valuable for us."

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.

Since joining the Cavaliers in 2003-04, James has not had a teammate who averaged as much as 17 points per game. But Williams has done so the past two seasons, averaging a career-high 17.3 points in his breakout season of 2006-2007.


The Cavs have long sought a scorer to take pressure off James, who led the NBA last season with a 30.0 scoring average.

James' lack of help was particularly noticeable in Cleveland's Game 7 loss to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals when he scored 45 of the Cavs' 92 points.

Larry Hughes was supposed to be James' sidekick, but couldn't fulfill the role and was sent to Chicago last year at the trade deadline in a 10-player deal.

Cleveland also has been searching for years for a point guard, and considered trades in the past for Mike Bibby and Jason Kidd, but never made a deal.

Williams' agent, Mark Bartelstein, said a scoring-minded point guard will make it easier on James and sharpshooter Daniel Gibson.

"I think there was so much pressure on LeBron to create so much of the offense in Cleveland," Bartelstein said. "I think somebody like Mo is going to really make the game easier for LeBron and create opportunities for other people."


Mason played in college at Oklahoma State and spent time with the Hornets franchise in Oklahoma City when it was relocated after Hurricane Katrina.

"We're excited," said Mason's agent, Roger Montgomery. "He's been to Oklahoma City, he's familiar with the people there, he's familiar with the Ford Center, he's played there, the fans loved him when he was there. His nickname is the Cowboy. It's really apropos to come back."

Ridnour, who averaged 6.4 points and four assists last season as the backup to Earl Watson in Seattle, had faced decreased playing time in Oklahoma City after the franchise drafted point guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick.

Griffin averaged 1.9 points in minimal playing time after coming over from Chicago in a midseason trade.

The acquisition of Williams may spell the end of Delonte West's brief tenure in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been embroiled in contract talks with West, a free agent who became their starting point guard after being traded from Seattle last February.

While Williams, 25, will definitely be Cleveland's starting point guard, a person close to the situation said the Cavaliers still will look to re-sign West, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who could start beside Williams in the backcourt. Milwaukee and Oklahoma City view the trade largely as a salary dump.

The Bucks, who traded former lottery pick Yi Jianlian to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson earlier this summer, get rid of the five years, $43 million left on Williams' contract while taking on Jones and Griffin, both of whom are in the last year of their deals. Ridnour has just two years, $13 million remaining on his contract.


It's also the next step in an offseason facelift in Milwaukee by new general manager John Hammond. The Bucks fired coach Larry Krystkowiak after going 26-56 last season and replaced him with Scott Skiles. They also selected West Virginia forward Joe Alexander with the eighth pick in the draft.

Additionally, the Bucks signed guard Tyronn Lue and forward Malik Allen in the offseason in an effort to bolster what has been one of the league's worst defenses.

"Our challenge from Day One has been to shape our roster in a way that our fans will see a team that is competitive, that plays hard every night and has a chance to win," Hammond said. "We feel this trade continues to move us toward that goal for this season and beyond."

As for Oklahoma City's acquisitions, Smith and Mason also are in the final year of their deals.

Chris Broussard is a writer for ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[spreedom]

Kinda surprised to see that Milwaukee didn't get any draft picks out of the deal, but it honestly makes a lot of sense for each team. Milwaukee gets a couple of expiring deals and a serviceable point guard (who should probably be a backup) with a reasonable contract. OKC gets Mason, a player with ties to the franchise, and Joe Smith, an expiring big man who gives them a little depth up front. Cleveland obviously gets the best player out of the deal (Williams) who is arguably a top-10 point guard in this league, and a fantastic shooter who could complement LeBron if used properly. No real losers here, except I really feel like Milwaukee should have squeezed Cleveland for a second round pick at the very least.

[Evilmav2]

Ugggghhh... Trading Mo Williams for Luke Ridnour, Damon Jones, and Uncle Griff? I know Williams is expensive and has been injury prone over the last couple of years, but seeing the Bucks trade a 25 year old, borderline all-star caliber point guard for the smorgasbord, crap-combo, poo-poo-platter of one slow, turnover prone lottery bust, and two broken-down journeyman vets is kind of like going back in time to 1999 and seeing a fella trade his '95 Lotus Esprit for a pair of used '87 Chevy Celebrities with 200K+ miles on them, and a '93 Cadillac Allante that barely runs... Bad, bad trade...

[AxdemxO]

Williams is a good player but mann some are really overrating him. So now Williams is a top 10 pg?? Come on if Jet isnt a pg thn Williams sure isnt one. Hes more like Gordon.

[Dtownsfinest]

Well Mo Williams is 10x's the defender JET is. I don't know if he's a top 10 pg in the league. I'd have to think about it. I probably could rack off about 12 or 13 pg's better than him. I don't think this trade says much about Mo Williams as it does the Bucks crop of point guards. They must really be high on Sessions. He had some great performances at the end of the season but I was for sure they'd keep Mo Williams especially after acquiring Richard Jefferson and giving Bogut that huge deal. Seems like that would be the team they'd go to war with. Cavs make out as bandits in this deal. They gave up Joe Smith and got Mo Williams in return. I always thought Luke Ridnour would turn into a good point guard in this league. Seems like its a bit too late for him.

[AxdemxO]

Am just saying that hes not a pg

[mac222b]

Mo is kind of a poor man's Chauncey Billups

[antoinewalker]

mo williams > jason terry.

[horse900703]

another trade~~