Cleveland Cavaliers Should Have No Problem Retaining Derrick Williams

The Cleveland Cavaliers should have no problem retaining Derrick Williams in the offseason.

According to Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler, the Cleveland Cavaliers can sign Derrick Williams for up to $5.2 million next season using the tax-payer’s exception. Williams signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Miami Heat last summer.

I reached out to Mr. Kyler in an attempt to see what their options would be to re-sign Williams, as the Cleveland Cavaliers have been cash-strapped all season and with the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) I was unsure what their options were.

His answer provides hope for those who want Williams to stay in Cleveland. He’s found a home in Cleveland and in my opinion, a mentor in LeBron James. While Williams may not possess the passing ability or overall talent level of James, they bear remarkable similarities.

They’re not known as jump shooters but can knock down shots from long-range and inside the arc, whether it’s a catch-and-shoot opportunity or a play they make off-the-dribble. They’re both tremendous athletes who like to attack the rim and can finish above-the-rim. They’re both versatile defenders who can defend all five positions. James, at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds is nearly the same size as Williams, who is 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds.

Shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from three-point range, this is the most efficient Williams has been in his career. While some may think his efficiency from behind the arc could be due to him shooting less threes, he’s actually shooting more three-point attempts per game (2.9) than he has at any point in his career.

He averages 8.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which compares favorably to his career averages of 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. That his efficiency is far better with the Cavs than at any other point in his career should illuminate the success he’s been having in his role with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

What is his role? In a video with Coach Nick of BBALL BREAKDOWN, Williams said it’s essentially just “a little bit of everything”.

“They put me in a lot different spots” Williams said. He also cited the team’s focus on ball movement, which of course is led by LeBron James. Williams also mentioned that while he enjoys the transition opportunities he gets with the Cavs, playing on a team with so many talented players allows him to slow down and play with more control.

Williams, who cited wanting to come to the Cleveland Cavaliers because the team has a “championship feel”, should be in Cleveland for a long-time because he fits. My only concern was that the Cavs wouldn’t have had enough to pay him more than the veteran’s minimum.

However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Williams should be in Cleveland for a long time, as the tax-payer’s mid-level exception allows the team to sign a player for up to three years.

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With Williams’ youth, at 25-years-old, he should be entering his prime soon. A former second overall pick who averaged 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in two season for the University of Arizona (where Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye also played), Williams wasn’t picked so high in the draft (one pick behind Kyrie Irving) because he wasn’t talented.

It could be said that he didn’t play to the best of his abilities up to this point but it can also be said that he hasn’t been in a position to play to the best of abilities after stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. Those years are what allowed Williams, like many other talented players who fail to take struggling franchises to the next level, to be cast in such a negative light.

It’s unlikely Williams would want to go to a worse team to chase the money for that very reason.

In my opinion, over the next couple of seasons we could see tremendous growth from Williams under the tutelage of James.

He could become the sixth man for the club down the line, with the five-man unit of Irving, J.R. Smith, James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson seeming to be the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.

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Do you think that Derrick Williams will be a re-signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.