FanPost

The Honeymoon Is Matthew Dellavedover

There once was a point guard from down under

Who stepped up for Kyrie and brought the thunder

Fans hearts he did win, so he’s trying to cash in

But if the Cavs brought him back it’d be a blunder

On the heels of a recent Chris Mannix piece a conversation has started regarding Matthew Dellavedova’s value. As noted by former New Jersey Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks, if the Cavaliers were to pay the Australian point guard the four million dollars a season that he is reportedly asking for it would cost the team the salary of a max player. This is because of the Cavs unprecedented luxury tax situation. As the roster currently stands the team is set to be paying right around 41 million dollar’s in tax bills. Dellavedova would add another 14 million dollars to that bill if he signed a contract for the salary he desires. The Cavaliers still need to add another wing before the offseason wraps up as well, which will make the tax bill even higher.

With the signing of Mo Williams Dellavedova’s role is considerably smaller than it was during last post season and much of the regular season. Delly averaged 20 minutes per game during the regular season and was Kyrie Irving’s primary backup. If everyone is healthy that role now belongs to Mo Williams. So ostensibly the Cavs are facing the decision of whether to spend 18 million dollars on someone likely to play less than ten minutes per game. I believe the obvious is answer is no. The soon to be 25-year-old point guard has a dribbling problem. The Saint Mary’s product plays with an immense amount of effort and became a cult figure during the playoffs but his upside as a prospect is limited. Delly struggles at times to provide spacing and despite his size and effort can struggle at times on defense as well. For all of the fan adoration Delly had a net rating of .6 last season. He simply does not have the potential or role to justify such a large investment from the franchise. The Cavaliers already have a larger guard with a better shot on the roster to develop anyway, Joe Harris. Joe is a larger, better shooting, guard who is already on the roster and will not cost the Cavaliers nearly as much as Dellavedova. Harris comes from a college program at Virginia that emphasizes strong defense, maximum effort and quick decisions, all of which will benefit him as he develops. In the interim the Cavaliers can sign a veteran guard for the minimum, perhaps John Lucas III and pay a fraction of the cost in tax bills.

When it comes down to it Matthew Dellavedova simply is not worth his cost. It is a sad reality for a fan favorite but it is the truth. I understand that fans are not supposed to worry about the checkbook of the owner, but in this instance to pay 18 million dollars in one season for the rights to have Delly on a 4 million per year deal later on isn’t a smart choice. His role does not dictate that sort of investment and neither does his potential. I cannot blame him for trying to maximize his income but I cannot advocate that the Cavaliers be the team to pay him his demands.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on FearTheSword.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff at FearTheSword

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