Sixers Claim, Waive Mo Williams

5:13pm: The Sixers have waived Williams, according to Tom Moore of the Courier Times (Twitter link). This maneuver allows the team to add Randle to the roster without needing to clear an additional spot.

4:29pm: Mo Williams has been claimed off waivers by the Sixers, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). The 76ers will have to clear a roster spot to accommodate Williams, as the team reportedly just re-signed Chasson Randle to a second 10-day contract as well. Adding both players would bring the roster count to 16, one over the 15-man limit.

The Sixers’ reasons for picking up Williams are financially motivated. The point guard’s $2.2MM cap hit will bring Philadelphia that much closer to the salary floor, but the team will only be on the hook for about half of that salary, since he has already been paid more than $1MM of it. Williams, who indicated in the fall that he would retire, has yet to appear in an NBA game this season.

This will be the third transaction Williams has been involved in since January 6th, when the well-traveled point guard was shipped to Atlanta in the Kyle Korver trade. Williams was then dealt to the Nuggets in exchange for the rights to 2005 draft pick Cenk Akyol. It remains to be seen whether Williams, who has suited up for seven different teams during his 13-year career, will return to the court with Philadelphia. Williams hasn’t filed his retirement papers, and underwent a surgical procedure on his left knee in October.

The Nuggets now have a vacant roster spot, which they may use to re-sign Alonzo Gee to a second 10-day contract. Gee, whose 10-day contract expired on Wednesday, has appeared in 10 games this season with Denver, scoring 11 points with 14 rebounds in that span. A 29-year-old veteran of six NBA teams, Gee averaged 22.4 MPG in 73 games with the Pelicans last season.