Cavaliers: 2 potential Matthew Dellavedova replacements

A Cleveland Cavaliers potential draft replacement for Delly: Malachi Flynn

If the Cavaliers feel that Exum isn’t the Delly replacement they are looking for, the next reasonable step would be to look for one in the draft. Currently, the Cavaliers only have one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft but, with the capital they obtained throughout the year, have the funds to make a move and add another one.

It makes the most sense for the Cavs to add a second-rounder, and one would think they very well could via cash considerations with how Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is more than willing to spend, and where many quality guards will still be available.

One guard to look at in particular is Malachi Flynn out of San Diego State. Flynn played two years at Washington State before transferring to San Diego State last year, and it was there where his game took off. In 32 games for the Aztecs, Flynn averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds, shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range.

Flynn is said to be one of the best pick-and-roll players in this class in both scoring and passing. As The Stepien’s Zach Milner pointed out, 73.9 percent of Flynn’s assists came in the PnR or transition. His vision and IQ gives him the ability to make a multitude of passes out of the PnR.

And seeing as the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson have mutual interest on a re-signing, per a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, and feasibly via one-year deal for the $8-10 million mid-level exception, the two can become a nice PnR duo off the bench.

Albeit that possibility involving Thompson is ’50-50,” per a Fedor source. That’s also depending on if Andre Drummond accepts his $28.8 million player option, and that is reportedly highly likely to be the case, for further context.

Swinging quickly back to Flynn, though, according to Synergy Sports and h/t Milner, Flynn operated well both on and off-ball, seeing as in spot-up situations, he averaged 1.086 points per possession, ranking in the 86th percentile. Looking at his on-ball game, on isolation plays, Flynn averaged 0.922 points per possession, ranking in the 77th percentile.

Flynn isn’t a slouch defensively. Despite his small frame (6-foot-1, 185 pounds), Flynn is seen as a solid defender and is someone who takes smart risks when it pertains to reaching for the ball.

All in all, having your potential starting and back-up point guards both operate well both on and off-ball would be a great thing to have for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This would Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff a chance to get creative with his lineups and looking at how the roster is constructed, Flynn could find instant success playing off the squad’s bench.

So again, for a potential replacement for Delly in the near future, if a 2020 NBA Draft second-round pick purchase were not set to cause them to dip into luxury tax territory, of course, Flynn could be a nice alternative.