1. Deron Williams, Dallas
Undoubtedly the most intriguing possibility on this list could be the 32-year-old Williams, who’s currently in his 12th season in the league. He’s making $9 million this season, which would fit neatly within Cleveland’s trade exception and is scheduled to make an even friendlier $5.5 in each of the following three seasons.
Williams has had injury issues related to a tight calf during the opening weeks of the 2016-17 campaign. In his six games played, he’s averaged 12.5 points and has handed out 4.8 assists, while averaging 31 minutes on the court. Career-wise, his points per game is at 16.7 and his assists per game is a noteworthy 8.2 per contest.
The big question here is whether Williams will go frustrated as a reserve, having spent almost his entire career as a member of the starting unit. Last year, Joe Johnson rejected the Cavaliers’ overtures to sign with the Miami Heat, primarily because he wanted to start. Whether or not Williams wants to make the sacrifice in order to try for his first NBA Championship may determine if this deal ever comes off.
The Bottom Line
Right now, the need for a quality backup behind Irving hasn’t quite reached a desperate stage. However, the Cavs would prefer to address the situation sooner rather than later in order to smoothly blend that new player into the lineup during the push to the postseason.
