Mo Williams

Notable Outstanding Option Decisions

The Lakers officially exercised their option on Andrew Bynum yesterday, locking him up for the final year of his contract. Bynum's isn't the first option decision of the year — Beno Udrih has picked up his 2012/13 player option, while Dwight Howard famously waived his early termination option earlier in the season. Over the next few weeks, we'll hear about even more team, player, and early termination options, as teams prepare for the July free agency period. Listed below are a few key decisions to watch in the coming weeks….

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Clippers Rumors: Griffin, Paul, Young, Williams

We already rounded up a series of Tuesday morning Lakers updates, so let's take a look at what's going on with Los Angeles' other team. Here's the latest on the Clippers….

2:35pm:

  • Although Mo Williams has expressed a preference to pick up his 2012/13 player option and remain in Los Angeles, GM Neil Olshey isn't ready to take that as gospel yet. "Guys say a lot of things right after the season but I’m sure that [agent] Mark Bartelstein hasn’t really explored all his options yet," Olshey told Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. "But once those are on the table, Mo will make an informed decision."
  • The Clippers wouldn't mind adding a two guard with some size, and a floor-spacing power forward, or "stretch four."
  • Olshey isn't worried about being able to bring in additional talent: "We’ve got trade exceptions, we’ve got one-year contracts, we’ve got draft picks we can move and the most exciting thing is now we’re a destination."
  • While the Clippers don't figure to have Chauncey Billups' Bird rights, since they claimed him off amnesty waivers, Non-Bird rights will be more than enough if they want to re-sign him — amnesty rules allow the Clips to offer up to 120% total salary, including the amount the Knicks are paying, rather than just 120% of the $2MM+ he's earning in L.A.

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Odds & Ends: Knicks, Bucks, Heat, Nicholson

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the NBA…

Pacific Notes: Williams, Kings Arena, Barnes

The Lakers will host the Nets at the Staples Center tonight, but if you're a Los Angeles basketball fan, you can be forgiven for looking ahead to tomorrow night's matchup. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers square off against Chris Paul and the Clippers in a game that will directly impact the top of the Pacific Division standings. The Lakers currently hold a one-game lead over the Clips, but that could change quickly, with just over three weeks left in the regular season.

Here are a few Tuesday afternoon updates out of the Pacific:

  • If he's facing a reduced role with the Clippers heading into next season, Mo Williams could decline his player option and look for a new contract elsewhere, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. While Williams has conveyed a desire for long-term financial security in the past, I have a hard time believing he'd give up a guaranteed $8.5MM for next season.
  • Sacramento City Council faces another vote on the Kings' new arena proposal tonight, as Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak explain in an informative piece for the Sacramento Bee. Meanwhile, one group in Sacramento is planning a petition drive to stop the city from financially supporting the arena without voter approval, says Bizjak in a separate article.
  • Matt Barnes appeared on 710 ESPN in Los Angeles to discuss the Lakers' bench and coach Mike Brown's rotation, among other topics, as Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes.

Pacific Notes: Ellis, Kings, Suns, Williams, Blake

Seattle mayor Mike McGinn is reportedly set to unveil details of Christopher Hansen's proposal for a new sports arena later this afternoon. However, while Seattle is making strides toward returning to the NBA, it will likely need to relocate another franchise to do so. The Kings are the most likely candidates to be relocated, so let's check in on the progress on Sacramento's new arena, along with some other notes out of the Pacific….

  • The Suns hosted a free agent work out today, with Michael Finley and Jermaine Taylor in attendance, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). 
  • It has become clear that Monta Ellis is expendable in Golden State, writes Monte Poole of the Bay Area News Group.  Poole says that rookie guard Klay Thompson has been getting more playing time as it becomes clear to the Warriors that they will continue to struggle if Ellis remains their best player.
  • Sacramento is seeking a contribution of about $85MM toward a new arena from the Maloofs, according to a report from the Sacramento Bee. It's not yet known whether the NBA, negotiating on the Kings' behalf, will agree.
  • Suns owner Robert Sarver and president of basketball operations Lon Babby are confident the team can become competitive again in the near future, writes Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic. The team still doesn't plan to trade Steve Nash unless he asks out, and isn't interested in a full-scale "blow-up" since that process would mean not contending for several years.
  • Reports last week suggested Mo Williams was unsatisfied with his role for the Clippers, but Williams told Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld that's not the case.
  • Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News wonders if the Lakers' point-guard issues could be solved in part by Steve Blake rather than a free agent signing or trade acquisition.

Clippers Looking To Replace The Injured Billups

Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld.com reports the Los Angeles Clippers are looking to replaced injured guard Chauncey Billups, who is out for the season with a torn achilles tendon.

"Billups, more so than point guard Chris Paul, has that crucial championship experience that the Clippers will need as they head into what could be an unprecedented postseason run.  The Clippers will be able to replace Chauncey’s production, to an extent, throughout the regular season but having an NBA Finals MVP on the floor in the closing moments of vital playoff games?

That’s tough to overcome."

Combo guard Mo Williams and Randy Foye should be able to replace the 15 points and four assists Billups was contributing per night. And while Billups' veteran leadership will be missed on the court, Chris Paul is an old hand at leading teams through tough situations.

Billups' injury doe little to change the Clippers priorities. With the acquisition of Kenyon Martin to shore up the frontcourt, the Clippers most glaring need was athletic size on the wings where veterans Caron Butler and Ryan Gomes are the onlyl swingmen with ideal size, if not athleticism.

J.R. Smith should return from China soon, and remains an intriguing option as firepower off the bench, though he may command more than the minimum contract the Clippers can offer.

The Clippers are also armed with a $3.93MM and $2.85MM trade exception remaining from the Chris Paul trade, though their lack of a first round pick in this draft might leave options limited. With the team built around Paul and Blake Griffin, however, this depth is more luxury than necessity this first season.

Mo Williams Talks Role, Contract, Cavs Trade

Mo Williams returned to Cleveland last night, playing his first game at Quicken Loans Arena since being traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers nearly a year ago. Before the game, Williams spoke to reporters about a number of topics, including the trade that sent him to Los Angeles.

On his role with the Clippers (via Bob Finnan of the News-Herald):

"I haven't come off the bench for a long time. Once I understood the role, it's starting to flow. You have to play a role on every team. This is what they've asked me to do. Whether I like it or not, I have to perform my duties."

On the trade that sent him to the Clippers with Jamario Moon for Baron Davis and the draft pick that became Kyrie Irving (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal):

"I thought [the Cavs] handled everything first class, even though I was traded. It was a decision that they made as an organization. I would say it worked out for them."

On his current contract situation (via T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times):

"I don't know where I stand…. If you have a girlfriend and she tells you she loves you every day, obviously you know she loves you…. The way [a team] tells you they love you every day is by signing you to a contract extension."

I think Simers' portrayal of Williams as a selfish player out for another payday is unfair. Williams' comments suggest to me that he won't feel like he's part of the Clippers' long-term plans (which he may not be) as long as the team seems content to let his contract expire. Neil Olshey has said he's not shopping Williams, but the Clips GM, at least before Chauncey Billups' season-ending injury, seemed open to a trade if he received the right offer.

Clippers Notes: Billups, Trade Exceptions, Williams

Earlier tonight, the Clippers learned that they will be without guard Chauncey Billups for the remainder of the season after the veteran suffered a torn Achilles' tendon last night against the Magic.  Here's a look at the potential fallout from the injury and what's next for Billups..

  • With Billups out for the year, Larry Coon of ESPN.com (via Twitter) points out that the Clippers have two trade exceptions: one for $3.831MM and the other for $2.756MM.  The exceptions came from dealing Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu, respectively.
  • Despite speculation that Billups might be forced to call it a career after his Achilles injury, the guard says that he still has some "good years left to play," tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
  • This offseason the Knicks used their amnesty clause on Billups as they feared that he would be a health risk, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post.  The decision to reappropriate that money towards signing Tyson Chandler seems even smarter in hindsight, Berman adds.
  • Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that the Clippers were hearing a noise from fans and media early in the season about trading Mo Williams for a backup big man, but they're glad to have that guard depth now.
  • It sounds as though Billups is determined to continue playing beyond this season and Ben Wallace says that he'll talk to his former teammate about his future tonight, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

Clippers Not Shopping Mo Williams

Since the Clippers acquired Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, Mo Williams has found himself relegated to sixth-man duty in Los Angeles. Despite the team's point guard depth, the Clippers don't intend to actively shop Williams before the trade deadline, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.

Clippers GM Neil Olshey has told Williams he's not looking to trade him, and promised to consult with the veteran if he receives any trade offers worth considering.

"Every day Mo comes in and does what he's doing, doesn't give us any impetus to want to trade him," said Olshey. "I want him to be here and I want him to be happy…. I told him, 'I give you my word, I'm not making any proactive phone calls about you. If I receive phone calls about you and it's something where I think we can come away with a fair deal, I will come to you and say, 'What do you think of this situation?'"

Williams, 29, has a salary of $8.5MM both this year and next, assuming he picks up his 2012/13 player option. His contract, along with the Clippers' depth at point guard, makes him a logical trade candidate, but he's thrived in his new role off the bench. His FG% (.502), 3PT% (.448) and PER (20.7) this season would all be career bests.