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UPDATED: According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Cleveland Cavaliers will retain Matthew Dellavedova for one more season at $1.2 million. The 24-year-old Aussie spent his first two seasons with the Cavs after going undrafted out of St. Mary's. This summer, he was a restricted free agent, and he has apparently decided to accept the qualifying offer and return for a third season.
Matthew Dellavedova will return to the Cavs on a one-year deal worth approximately $1.2 million, source w/ knowledge of the deal tells ESPN
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 27, 2015
Dellavedova will look to get the big bucks next summer, although the Cavs will still have some control over what happens to him, as they can make him a restricted free agent once again.
Cavs tax situation made offering @MatthewDelly the $4 million per season he was seeking unrealistic. He'll try to cash in next summer.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) July 27, 2015
Cavaliers can make Delly a restricted FA again next offseason @ESPNSteinLine https://t.co/8MitYjxeGJ
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) July 27, 2015
For the Cavs, this is a fair price to pay for a guy who will probably continue to find a place in the rotation because of his perimeter defense.
Last season, Dellavedova played in 67 games and hit 40.7 percent of his threes. When Kyrie Irving went down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Dellavedova was thrust into a starting role for the next five games against the Warriors. He was lauded by some for his defensive effort against Stephen Curry, especially as the Cavs took a 2-1 lead in the series.
With the addition of Mo Williams this offseason, Dellavedova will no longer have to fill the role of primary backup point guard. Now, he should be able to fit in as a utility piece near the end of David Blatt's rotation.