Portland Trail Blazers bargain basement free agent eight – Matthew Dellavedova
Matthew Dellavedova, who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019/20 season, is a 30-year-old point guard out of Australia.
Dellavedova was drafted by the Cavs in 2013, going on to famously play a role in the 2014/15 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors. When regular point guard starter Kyrie Irving was ruled out of the playoffs with injury, ” Delly ” stepped up with an unlikely 20 points in game three as the shorthanded Cavs upset the Warriors.
He then won a title as a bench player for the Cavs in 2015/16, afterward signing a four-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016 offseason.
He started off playing a significant role with the Bucks, but injury and then the need to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with different talent meant he was then traded back to the Cavs in the 2018/19 season.
Dellavedova is an energy-type point guard who has shot 37 percent from three in his career. He is a tough defender who plays hard and loves to draw charges and get under the opponent’s skin by playing physical man defense.
Although he has never played massive minutes, he is a smart passer. He has always had one of the league’s best assist rates. He is great at getting other guys open.
Though he isn’t a versatile shooter, his 39.1 percent from the corners shows his ability to knock down jumpers when he is open.
At this stage of his career, he is a third-string point guard and more of a locker room guy, but with championship experience and the ability to make good defensive reads, he could be a nice signing on the minimum for the Blazers.
He would have to be fully past his injury issues to sign with an NBA team, but it looks like he was getting back to his best post this All-Star break. He shot 41 percent from three while playing 25 minutes a night.
Dellavedova is definitely a minimum deal candidate.