"LeBron's re-signing today is a reflection and continuation of his strong, personal commitment to help deliver championships to Northeast Ohio and Cavs fans everywhere," said Griffin. "We share this deep level of commitment with him. His impact upon this team, his community and the game are impossible to overstate and we look forward to continuing on our mission together.”
James, a four-time MVP and 11-time NBA All-Star, appeared in 69 regular season games (all starts) for the Cavaliers in 2014-15 with averages of 25.3 points (3rd in NBA) on .488 shooting from the field, 6.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists (7th in NBA) and 1.6 steals in 36.1 minutes.
While the signing of James was considered inevitable, there had been doubt up until last month as to whether Kevin Love would return. By signing the established power forward, the Cavs assured they will be the team to beat in the East in the foreseeable future.
“From the moment Kevin arrived, he has shared our plan for winning in Cleveland. Today confirms our mutual belief in that vision,” said Griffin. “As one of the truly elite players in the NBA, Kevin’s value and impact was critical to our success this past season and we are thrilled that he will be part of our core group for many years to come.”
In his first season with the Cavs, Love played in 75 games (all starts) with averages of 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.8 minutes per game.
A three-time NBA All-Star, Love owns career averages of 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.9 minutes over 439 games (357 starts) in seven seasons with Minnesota and Cleveland. The 6-10 forward holds career shooting percentages of .363 from the three-point line and .814 from the free throw line.
Cleveland also invested in their perimeter defense with the re-signing of Shumpert.
“Iman is a versatile, two-way player who embodies much of the grit, determination and defense-first mentality our group became identified by,” said Griffin. “He is evolving as a playmaker on both ends and his impact on our group was enormous throughout our Finals run.”
Shumpert appeared in 62 games (25 starts) for the Cavs and New York Knicks in the 2014-15 regular season. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 24.9 minutes per game.
Finally, the Cavs turned back the clock and brought guard Mo Williams back to Cleveland.
“We’re very excited to welcome Mo back to Cleveland and we feel he will be a great fit with our team,” said Griffin. “Mo is a proven, high-caliber playmaker and his ability to space the floor at either guard position will be essential for us.”
Williams, a 12-year veteran, spent parts of three seasons with Cleveland from 2008-2011, where he averaged 16.2 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 33.6 minutes and was selected a 2009 NBA All-Star. Over his career, he has played in 777 games (511 starts), averaging 13.4 points, including a .870 clip from the foul line, a .379 mark from the three-point line, 2.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 29.8 minutes for Utah, Milwaukee, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland, Minnesota and Charlotte.
During the 2014-15 regular season, Williams played in 68 games (33 starts) with Minnesota and Charlotte and averaged 14.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 29.1 minutes per game.
By Staff of the TheDailySportsHerald.com
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