Cavaliers: Three Reasons to Re-Sign Matthew Dellavedova

Matthew Dellavedova is set to be an unrestricted free agent, the Cavaliers should re-sign him.

With their first-ever NBA championship in the rear view mirror, the Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of tough decisions to make during the offseason–one being the future of unrestricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova.

Delly’s rise to the player he is today fits the Cleveland narrative that “nothing is given, and everything is earned.” Coming out of Saint Mary’s to the Cavaliers as an undrafted rookie, Delly earned a spot on the Cavaliers due to his motor and willingness to leave everything on the court.

Through his first three seasons with the wine and gold, the 25-year-old Australian has improved his numbers each year, and has developed into a reliable three-point option off the bench and a pesky perimeter defender.

After being the Cavaliers unsung hero during the 2015 NBA finals, Delly earned himself an offseason payday in the form of a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

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During the 2015-16 campaign, he lived up to his raise, stepping up as a starter in place of an injured Kyrie Irving.

Now with his one-year deal up, Dellavedova has become an unrestricted free-agent, and the Cavaliers should do everything in their power to bring the Aussie back to the land.

Smart, Reliable Offense

Although he may not have huge scoring outbursts, Dellavedova is a legitimate three-point threat off the Cavaliers’ bench. In 76 games during the regular season, Delly was an ace from beyond the arc, connecting on 41 percent of his shots, which was good enough for 13th in the association.

For the Cavaliers, having a bench player such as Dellavedova who can knock down the three is very important, as the three-point shot has proven to be a big part of their offense; as a team, the Cavs ranked third in the league in three-point attempts per game with 29.3.

Not only does Delly provide a consistent threat from beyond the arc, he also keeps the ball safe while running the offense–ranking 10th in the association with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.91.

Having a player–particularly a point guard–who can keep the turnovers at a minimum is more oftentimes than not a recipe for success.

As reliable as Dellavedova is on the offensive end of the court, perhaps the biggest kicker is his versatility at the guard position–he is not a ball-dominant point guard who has to have the ball in his hand, allowing the likes of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to run the offense at their own expense.

Defensive Toughness

Delly isn’t an elite defender by any stretch of the imagination, but he can hold his own against some of the league’s most prominent point guards.

What he lacks is speed, he makes up with pure determination. On multiple occasions, Dellavedova has provided a spark for his teammates due to his hustle on defense, including back in his rookie season against the Washington Wizards.

Perhaps the most telling stat of Dellavedova’s defensive presence for the Cavaliers is the team’s defensive rating with him on and off the court: with the Aussie on the floor, the Cavs posted a defensive rating of 99.7; when he was off the court, that number skyrocketed to 104.5.

His gritty defensive style of play is certainly one that gets under the skin of his opponents, but is also what has made him so popular among Cavaliers fans.

Lack Of Guard Depth

Outside of Dellavedova, the Cavaliers have a short line of point guards that could make a difference off the bench.

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has proven he still has gas left in the tank, but the fuel gauge is very close to “E.” Williams started the regular season as the Cavaliers starting point guard, averaging 15.6 points on 53 percent from the field during the month of November.

After his superb month, Williams fell back down to earth and his numbers gradually declined as he was forced out of the lineup due to injuries such as a partially torn ligament and a nagging knee injury.

During  the Cavaliers’ Finals run Williams decided to opt into the second year of his two-year, $4.3 million contract. Knowing Williams campaign was filled with different injuries, having Dellavedova as another option off the bench will be beneficial for the Cavaliers.

Overall, Dellavedova, who has become a fan favorite during his time in Cleveland, has proven to be a valuable contributor for the Cavaliers. His ability to knock down the three and get back on defense is too much for the Cavaliers to let go.

It’s not as if he hasn’t gained interest from around the league, either. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Zach Lowe’s podcast that the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks have both shown interest in the 25-year-old point guard.

"“They [Cleveland] could’ve signed Matthew Dellavedova to a $2MM or $3MM a year contract and now I think someone is coming in with a $10MM offer sheet. For some reason, and I got a pretty good idea why, the Milwaukee Bucks attended Cavs games in the playoffs like they were a fan of the team. They had scouts there…[coach] Jason Kidd came to one of the games. I think the Bucks have zeroed in on Dellavedova. I think they intend to offer him a bunch of money. The Detroit Pistons were hanging around in the playoffs a lot, sending scouts. They weren’t sending scouts to evaluate J.R. Smith, I think they intend to go after Dellavedova,” Windhorst said, per hoopsrumors."

Hopefully for the Cavs, the Pistons or Bucks don’t offer Delly a contract he simply can’t deny. If he were to sign elsewhere, the Cavaliers would be forced to put their hope into Mo Williams as their full-time backup point guard–which wouldn’t be so bad if his injury history wasn’t so concerning.

What do you think, should the Cavaliers re-sign Matthew Dellavedova, or let him walk in free agency?