Cleveland, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City have agreed in principle to a six-player trade that could add a much-needed second scorer to LeBron James' Cavaliers.
Mo Williams, the high-scoring point guard from Milwaukee, will go to Cleveland in the deal, which should be announced later Wednesday.
The 6-foot-1 Williams averaged 17.2 points and a team-high 6.3 assists for the Bucks last season.
Cleveland will send shooting guard Damon Jones to Milwaukee and forward Joe Smith to Oklahoma City.
Milwaukee also will get point guard Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin from Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, also gets Desmond Mason, the athletic small forward, from the Bucks.
Since joining the Cavaliers in 2003-04, James has not had a teammate who averaged as much as 17 points per game. But Williams has done so the past two seasons, averaging a career-high 17.3 points in his breakout season of 2006-2007.
The acquisition of Williams may spell the end of Delonte West's brief tenure in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been embroiled in contract talks with West, a free agent who became their starting point guard after being traded from Seattle last February.
While Williams, 25, will definitely be Cleveland's starting point guard, a person close to the situation said the Cavaliers still will look to re-sign West, a 6-4 combo guard who could start beside Williams in the backcourt. Milwaukee and Oklahoma City view the trade largely as a salary dump.
The Bucks, who traded former lottery pick Yi Jianlian to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson earlier this summer, get rid of the five years, $43 million left on Williams' contract while taking on Jones and Griffin, both of whom are in the last year of their deals. Ridnour has just two years, $13 million remaining on his contract.
As for Oklahoma City's acquisitions, Smith and Mason also are in the final year of their deals.
Chris Broussard is a writer for ESPN The Magazine.