Chasing a ring: Deron Williams explains why he joined Cleveland Cavaliers

Veteran point guard Deron Williams announced his decision to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, a few days after agreeing to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks. The former three-time All-Star will be filling the much-needed void of a backup point guard on the Cavaliers roster as the team prepares for another deep postseason run.

For Williams, the decision was a simple one. The 32-year-old is chasing a championship and the Cleveland Cavaliers present him with the best-possible opportunity. "At the end of the day, I just felt like this was the best fit for me. It was a team that showed interest in the offseason in signing me and one -- I think my name was thrown around all season and so I know a lot of the guys on the team, you know playing with LeBron (James) in the Olympics," Williams told reporters shortly before the Cavs hosted the Milwaukee Bucks, via ESPN.

Deron Williams fills major void on Cavs roster

Last month, LeBron James emphatically claimed that the Cavaliers roster was "weaker" than last year's championship team which came back from a 3-1 finals deficit to capture a franchise-first NBA title. According to James, the team needed a backup point guard and an additional rim protector, at the least, to possibly repeat as NBA champions in June. With Williams filling one of the two needs, the Cavaliers are expected to find Tristan Thompson a backup centre in the near future.

The Cavaliers front office has been extremely active over the past few months. After acquiring Kyle Korver and Deron Williams, the team will likely add either Andrew Bogut or Larry Sanders to the roster within the coming few days. "I played with Kyle (Korver) (in Utah) and he's one of my good friends and we still talk (to this day). I just feel like I'll be comfortable here. I'll have a significant role here, with the need for a backup for Kyrie Irving and also being able to play with Kyrie. We get a chance to play together and of course competing for a championship is something that I haven't had a chance to do," said Williams, who agreed to a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets in 2015 before signing a one-year contract with the Mavs.

Deron Williams could have received a more lucrative contract from teans that are currently below the salary cap floor. However, the point guard agreed to a veteran’s minimum contract of US$900,000 (AU$1,171,080) with the intention to chase a championship. Williams was averaging 13.1 points, 6.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds with the Mavs prior to his buyout.