Despite bringing in veterans such as Mario Chalmers, Kirk Heinrich, Jordan Farmar and Lance Stephenson, the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers may have another player entirely in mind in the form of Deron Williams.
According to Sam Amico of amicohoops.net, the Dallas Mavericks are willing to part ways with the 32-year-old, 12-year NBA veteran, who was the third overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of North Carolina.
Williams, once considered one of the premier point guards during his heyday in Utah and Brooklyn, has been reduced to a more bench-second team role for the Mavericks in averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 34.4 percent from three-point range in starting 63 games.
Per the report, Williams could be acquired in exchanged for swingman Iman Shumpert and a draft pick.
Rumored to be linked to the likes of Shelvin Mack, Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson, the defending champs are finding themselves missing current Milwaukee Bucks point guard—and popular backup to Kyrie Irving—in Matthew Dellavedova and starting shooting guard J.R. Smith.
Thanks to the growing pain of current rookie Kay Felder and the recent trading of Mo Williams to the Atlanta Hawks, the Cavs are in need of a quality backup to help run the second unit. Depending on who emerges as the likely player to be offered a contract, Williams may very well be an option.
Per sources close to the Cavs, the forementioned Farmar has emerged as the front-runner to likely join Cleveland on a 10-day contract, after boasting an impressive workout. For the season, the former UCLA product and former Los Angeles Laker has averaged career marks of 7.7 points, 2.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.
In hopes of finding a “playmaker” at point guard to satisfy a suddenly-vocal LeBron James, hopefully one of the above mentioned players is fit for the King.