Cavs Release Jawad Williams, Hold Audition for Roster Spot

The Cleveland Cavaliers released under-performing Jawad Williams on Monday, but they may not leave his roster spot open for long. The Cavaliers are expected soon to host NBA D-League standouts Kyle Weaver, Othyus Jeffers, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Marcus Landry along with Antoine Wright and Alonzo Gee for a workout, according to league sources.

Wright (pictured) and Gee have played in the NBA this season with the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, respectively, but are currently free agents. Ewing Jr., the son of Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, is the only player the Cavaliers are thought to be considering without previous regular-season NBA experience.

The Cavaliers, who also assigned rookie Samardo Samuels to NBA D-League affiliate Erie BayHawks earlier in the day, are apparently looking for the best available small forward regardless of specialty as all six players bring a different array of skills to the court. The Cavaliers aren't expected to immediately sign one of these players, but they should have a good idea of who they might be targeting after Monday evening's workout.

Weaver, a 6-foot-6 guard out of Washington State, spent the last two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder before joining the D-League's Iowa Energy this season. Weaver's had "a record number of scouts" attending his games this season, according to Energy coach Nick Nurse, and it's easy to see why. Known mostly for his defense, Weaver has added a deadly 3-point shot to his arsenal as he's currently converted 46 percent of his 65 attempts from beyond the arc. To go along with his improved shot, Weaver's averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.

Jeffers, a 6-5 small forward and current teammate of Weaver, has gone from completely off the radar as a third-round pick in the 2008 D-League Draft to earning a mid-season call-up to the Utah Jazz last season. Typically lauded for his hard-nosed defense, Jeffers has stepped up his offense in the D-League this season as he's averaging 19.6 points and 8.6 rebounds a contest despite his height. Jeffers, who has an incredible backstory, played his college basketball at NAIA Robert Morris.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Reno Bighorns' Ewing Jr. is known more for his offensive repertoire. At 6-8, Ewing possesses the most size of the group, though he's mostly a perimeter player with just 11 percent of his possessions being conducted in the post, according to the Synergy Sports Technology database. Ewing Jr. sat out all of last season with a foot injury, though was the last cut of the New York Knicks this preseason. Ewing Jr. is averaging 19.2 points and 8.3 rebounds this season to go with 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks.

Landry, who teams with Ewing Jr. in Reno, also has an NBA connection in the family as his brother Carl plays for the Sacramento Kings. The younger Landry split last season between the Knicks and the Boston Celtics but decided to join his brother in Sacramento this preseason. That didn't pay off, however, as he failed to make the roster. With the Bighorns, Landry is averaging 15.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while making a solid 36 percent of his shots from beyond the arc to go with a sub-par 41 percent from inside the arc.

Wright, a five-year NBA veteran whose previous NBA stops have included New Jersey, Dallas, Toronto and Sacramento, appeared in seven games with the Kings this season before being released after making just one of his eight shot attempts. His best season came with the Mavericks when he averaged 7.3 points in 53 starts during the 2008-09 season.

Gee, a D-League veteran himself, might be the most athletic of this rather athletic bunch. A rookie out of Alabama last season, the 6-6, Gee earned NBA call-ups to the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs as a member of the Austin Toros. He began this season with the Spurs but was released after playing in just five games before being quickly re-acquired by the Wizards. But after 11 games with the Wizards, he was released again when the Wizards re-signed Lester Hudson.

Information from FanHouse's Sam Amick was used in this report.