Cavs GM David Griffin says Mo Williams is retiring after 13 seasons
The guard retires a one-time All-Star and one-time NBA champion
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1 min read
If you're emotionally invested in the future of Mo Williams' professional basketball career, then I'm sorry that the last month has been so confusing. After reports that he was on the verge of retirement and a tweet from Williams announcing that he was playing one more year, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin told reporters at Monday's media day that he just found out that Williams is retiring after 13 seasons in the NBA.
#Cavs Mo Williams' agent reached out to David Griffin this morning. Williams will not be playing this year, after all.
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) September 26, 2016
Williams' agent reached out on the morning of media day, five days after Williams said he was returning and four days after Williams told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that he "didn't want to put the Cavs in a situation where [they didn't have a] guy [who] could come in and play 5-10 minutes that could help them win and be a difference." This is so strange. Williams, by the way, has not tweeted since he said he was coming back.
Assuming that Williams does not change his mind, he will retire at 33 with career averages of 13.2 points and 4.9 assists. He made the All-Star Game in 2009 as a member of the Cavaliers and won a championship with the same organization seven years later. His productivity and playing time declined because of knee trouble, but he remained a reliable spot-up shooter as a veteran.
For the Cavs, this is bad news for their point guard depth behind Kyrie Irving, but it's also an opportunity for Kay Felder, Jordan McRae and training-camp invitee Markel Brown to try to earn a spot in the rotation. Cleveland did not retain Matthew Dellavedova in free agency over the summer, instead agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
