CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mo Williams agreed to a two-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, returning for a second stint. Reuniting with LeBron James was part of the allure, but his decision to take a lesser deal was about much more.
"It feels home," Williams said during an interview on "SiriusXM NBA Radio" with Jeff Rickard and Vinny Del Negro. "There's just that team where you kind of feel like, 'You know what? I would never want to leave this organization.' Obviously the business of basketball changes the landscape of a lot of people's careers and mine was no different, but to have the opportunity to come back and finish my career there and have the opportunity to go out on top I couldn't ask for a better situation.
"There's no monetary factor involved in any of my decisions. At this point of my career now it's just playing winning basketball, playing for championships."
Williams' Cleveland roots began to sprout in 2008 when he was traded to the Cavaliers in a three-team swap involving Milwaukee and Oklahoma City. He played two full seasons with the Cavs before getting traded a few months after James' departure to Miami in the summer of 2010.
During his brief stint in Cleveland, Williams averaged 16.2 points and 5.1 assists. But even as he became a bit of an NBA nomad, Williams kept tabs on his old squad, the one that helped him become an NBA All-Star in 2009.
"I always pulled for the Cavs and I always felt sorry for them when they were still losing," Williams said. "Then when Bron went back I thought that was really great for the city and I was happy for them in that regard."
Williams' summer started early as the Hornets, a team he was traded to at the deadline, failed to reach the postseason. That's when he started to weigh his free agency options. He spent time with his family and coached his AAU team. Then, when it was time to sign a two-year deal with the Cavs for part of the mid level taxpayer's exception, the decision was easy. All he had to do was think back to June, to the Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals matchup.
"I was pulling for them to win because I feel the city deserves a championship," Williams said. "I was looking at that game and I think that alone really fueled my decision. 'What do you have to offer? OK, I will take it. I'm coming back. I want to win.' I think that alone ignited that decision to go back."
Williams, who averaged 17.2 points in 27 games with the Hornets, will likely serve as Kyrie Irving's primary backup. Williams will also be asked to steady Cleveland's erratic second unit.
Drawn to his playmaking ability, versatility and shooting prowess, the Cavs are also getting an experienced player who will help soften the blow of losing locker room lieutenants -- Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and Kendrick Perkins. On a team with young lead guards, Irving and Matthew Dellavedova, Williams' leadership shouldn't be overlooked.
"The reasons why the Cavs were confident to bring me back, I'm a strong voice and a team guy," Williams said. "It's about bringing everybody together collectively for one goal. That's kind of my approach and just being around guys every day obviously you're going to learn personalities. It's just like any coach. You have to be able to manage those personalities and you have to be able to have everybody on your team like you. I think those things are important. Be able to relate to our guys.
"I've been the star of my team. I've been the second guy and the third guy. I've been the sixth man and the guy pissed off that he's not playing. I can kind of relate to each guy."