Cavs guard follows tweet by saying trade talk is 'nerve-wracking and frustrating.'
Mo Williams tells The Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst that he wants to stay with the Cavaliers.Mo Williams says that Cleveland has become his home and he does not want to leave.
With trade rumors swirling around him over the last several weeks, the Cavaliers guard got proactive today via his Twitter feed by requesting not to be traded to his more than 54,000 followers.
"I'm not ready to go," Williams wrote. "I'm begging. My work ain't done yet. I'm on both knees."
Multiple league executives have said that the Cavs have had some trade talks with Williams but they are not looking to trade him, just to get a feel for his market if they decide to make a move.
In an interview with The Plain Dealer from his San Diego-area offseason home this afternoon, Williams said the trade rumors have been giving him some stress.
"It has been bothering me, it is a little nerve-wracking and frustrating," Williams said. "Especially from the simple fact that you don't want to leave. But there's a lot of things going with the team, and you never know what is going to happen. It is something you can't control and it is part of the business."
Williams said that he has not been in contact with the organization, but that he's gotten a steady stream of calls as rumors have spread. Recently he's been linked to the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.
But league sources indicate the Cavs aren't close to any sort of deal for Williams and instead have been much more active in Delonte West trade talks. Still, Williams is somewhat unsettled.
"I have my heart in the city and the organization and I don't want to leave," Williams said. "You can look at it from both sides. Other teams want you, so that is good, but I love Cleveland."
Williams averaged 15.8 points and 5.3 assists during his second season with the Cavs this year. His shots were reduced by the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison, but he said that he believes he had a good season. He was inconsistent in the playoffs, however, for a second consecutive season.
"You look back and you think you could have done more and you wish you could have done better," Williams said. "But we're competing for a championship, we're getting better and I want to be a part of this thing for the long run."
The question is whether Williams' friend and teammate, LeBron James, will be there for the long run. Whether or not James does re-sign with the Cavs may impact Williams' future as the Cavs go forward with their superstar or not.
But Williams said he hasn't talked to James about the big decision.
"We all feel confident that Cleveland is his primary destination and that he's going to stay with us," Williams said. "We're all crossing our fingers that he'll come out on July 1 and say he's coming back and sign on the dotted line as soon as possible and not prolong it."