7 best undrafted talents to play for Cleveland Cavaliers

Best undrafted Cavs player No. 3: Matthew Dellavedova

If we wanted to highlight specifically those undrafted players who got their start with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Matthew Dellavedova would be the prime example. The Australian guard played college basketball at Saint Mary’s, winning WCC Player of the Year in 2012 and being named First-team All-WCC three different times.

Then he entered the NBA Draft in 2013 and went undrafted, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in Summer League. He impressed them enough with his play to sign a two-year contract before the start of the season, and from there a fan favorite was born.

“Delly” as he was affectionately known by Cleveland fans wasn’t a high-octane scorer, but he could do two things very well. First, he could get the offense into its sets, and often brought the ball up to give LeBron James a breather. Secondly, he put it all on the line defensively, hounding opposing ball handlers and throwing himself into the middle of every loose ball scrum.

Dellavedova had a number of key moments with the team, including big performances in the playoffs, and he was a part of the title-winning team in 2016. His play in Cleveland earned him a big contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played for 2.5 seasons before returning to the Cavaliers. At the time of writing he plays for the Sacramento Kings as a mentor and occasional third point guard, extending a career that began without a draft selection.