Mo Williams Waived by 76ers Shortly After Being Claimed: Details, Reaction

The Philadelphia 76ers claimed point guard Mo Williams off waivers Friday, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst. Shortly after the initial news broke, Calkins Media's Tom Moore cited a league source who said the Sixers waived Williams and re-signed Chasson Randle to a second 10-day contract. 

The decision to claim Williams was motivated strictly by financial factors. According to Stein, adding Williams' salary to their balance sheet means the Sixers are now $2.2 million closer to the salary floor. 

According to Philadelphia Magazine's Derek Bodner, the move means the Sixers will be approximately $5.58 million below the salary floor, giving them a shade over $15 million in cap room moving forward.

It's important to remember, however, that there is no harm in not reaching the floor. There's no mandated punishment for failing to reach the minimum threshold, as the league would merely make the Sixers redistribute the excess money to players who are already on the roster. 

And according to NBA cap guru Albert Nahmad, the Sixers aren't the only team that has yet to reach the cap floor. With the trade deadline just over a month away, the Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves are all more than $3 million below the floor. 

As for Williams' NBA future, the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd reported in September that Williams' agent informed Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin his client was retiring.