Mo Williams to Trail Blazers: Portland Signs Veteran Point Guard

Versatile NBA players such as guard Mo Williams are often key when it comes to contending for and winning championships. The Portland Trail Blazers hope that he is the missing piece of their puzzle.

UPDATE: Thursday, Aug. 8, at 12:10 p.m. ET by Brandon Galvin

From the Portland Trail Blazers' official website:

"

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent guard Mo Williams, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey...

... "As a player, Mo is an explosive scorer and willing facilitator," said Olshey. "As a person, his character and professionalism will set an outstanding example for our young players on the court, in the locker room and in the Portland community."

... "I'm very exited to be back with Mo again," said Trail Blazers Head Coach Terry Stotts. "He adds versatility, scoring and veteran leadership to the team."

"

---End of update---

Original Text:

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports first reported the two-year agreement:

Williams took to Twitter to express his excitement:

From Comcast SportsNet's Chris Haynes:

Williams is entering his 11th NBA season, but he is still a highly effective player at the age of 30. Williams is technically a point guard, standing 6'1" and weighing in at 195 pounds, but he has shooting-guard instincts, so he is capable of doing a lot of different things on the floor.   

Last season was a particularly strong one for Williams as he started 46 games for the Utah Jazz. He missed a large chunk of the season due to a thumb injury, but he was an important contributor to the Jazz when healthy, averaging nearly 13 points and more than six assists per contest.

With Utah bringing in Michigan's Trey Burke via the 2013 NBA draft, Williams' services were no longer needed in Salt Lake City. Perhaps Williams was a bit out of his element as a full-time starting point guard, but he still has plenty to offer. He can start when needed while coming off the bench as an offensive catalyst for the most part.

Prior to last season, Williams came off the bench in 51 games for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2011-12 campaign. As a backup to Chris Paul, he provided plenty of spark with averages of 13 points, three assists and one steal per game. Williams also knocked down 39 percent of his three-point attempts, which is right around his career average.

Williams made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2009 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. While he put up great numbers during his time in Cleveland, he was overshadowed in terms of playing Robin to LeBron James' Batman.

He received a lot of criticism for his inability to help lead the Cavs to a championship, but he was unfairly placed in a situation that didn't suit him. Williams has always been a very capable third or fourth option, but expecting him to put up superstar-caliber production was ridiculous, even alongside a talented individual like LeBron.

With that said, Williams has put up solid numbers at every stop over the course of his career, as he also played four strong seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams hasn't averaged less than 28 minutes per game since 2005-06, but it's entirely possible that he will be a more efficient and effective player if his minutes are managed a bit better this season and beyond.

Since Williams won't be leaned upon as a primary offensive option in Portland, that type of role should suit him well with the Trail Blazers. He performed admirably with the Jazz last season, but Utah ultimately fell just short of the playoffs. Williams isn't an ideal starting point guard for a playoff contender like the Blazers, but he is an effective bench scorer who should help this offense.

Williams has accomplished a lot in his career, but a championship ring is the one thing that continues to elude him. It remains to be seen if his free-agency decision will allow him to fill that empty space in his trophy case, but Williams definitely seems to have landed in an favorable situation.

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