Cavs acquire Mo Williams in three-team deal

Cleveland, OH - The Cleveland Cavaliers landed some offensive help for LeBron James in the backcourt on Wednesday, as they picked up point guard Mo Williams in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City.

The Cavs acquired Williams while parting ways with guard Damon Jones and forward Joe Smith.

Jones will land in Milwaukee, along with former Oklahoma City point guard Luke Ridnour and swingman Adrian Griffin. Oklahoma City will receive Smith and Bucks forward Desmond Mason.

A five-year veteran, Williams averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Bucks last season. A second-round pick by the Utah Jazz out of Alabama in 2003, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Williams has five years and $43 million left on a contract he signed last summer with Milwaukee after posting similar numbers in the 2006-07 season -- 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.

"Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term," said Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry. "He is entering his prime NBA years and will be part of the foundation of our future success. Mo is a player that excels as a traditional point guard, but also brings an extra dimension with his scoring and versatility. His ability to push the tempo, get inside the lane, shoot from the perimeter and distribute the ball will be very valuable for us."

Jones, a 10-year vet, averaged 6.5 points and 1.9 assists per game for the Cavs last season.

Smith, sent to the Cavs by the Bulls in the massive trade that also sent Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak to Cleveland last season, averaged 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game between both clubs. The well-traveled former No. 1 overall pick out of Maryland has career averages of 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers (twice), Minnesota Timberwolves (twice), Detroit Pistons, Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Bulls, and Cavs.

Mason, an eight-year vet out of Oklahoma State, scored 9.7 points and added 4.3 rebounds per game in 59 contests with the Bucks last season.

Ridnour tallied 6.4 points and 4.0 assists per game last season for the former Seattle Supersonics.

Griffin, a nine-year vet, averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 22 games with the Bulls last season. Chicago traded Griffin to Oklahoma City in February.