Matthew Dellavedova has reached an agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks on a four-year, $38 million offer sheet, reports ESPN's Zach Lowe. The Cleveland Cavaliers will have three days to decide whether to match once the moratorium ends on July 7, but the Cavs have decided to let him go to Milwaukee. LeBron James thanked Dellavedova for his contributions to the franchise.
Congrats to my brother! @matthewdelly on his deal! Good luck in Milwaukee! Very deserving to you and your family. 1
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 1, 2016
Dellavedova sought a multi-year deal last summer, but had to settle for the qualifying offer the Cavaliers extended him. The good news was that by only signing a one-year contract he was going to enter restricted free agency once again, this time with many teams in the league having ample cap space to make him a substantial offer. The contract he signed this offseason would have not been available for a player of his caliber in the past.
The deal is a well-deserved reward for a limited player who managed to maximize his strengths while hiding his weakness well. After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, he worked his way into a two-year deal with the Cavaliers in training camp. He earned the backup point guard spot in his rookie season and his role only grew once LeBron James joined the team the year after. His steady hand and durability have made him a solid role player who has even managed to contribute on two deep postseason runs.
Dellavedova has angered opponents because of his physical play that often comes close to crossing the line. He's been called dirty ever since he injured Kyle Korver by diving into his legs trying to recover a loose ball. There have been other incidents as well in which he's been reckless and have resulted in scuffles. It's obviously impossible to tell if he's really trying to injure opponents or just playing hard, but he has developed a reputation around the league. Like the case with most players who go all out, the fans of the team he's on love him and the rest hate him.
While those incidents are probably what Dellavedova is best known for, he does have value on the court. He's a career 40 percent shooter from beyond the arc who can make open looks. His assist-to-turnover ratio is solid, as he typically makes the right play, and despite not having ideal tools, he's a solid defender thanks to his effort level and physicality. He's clearly not talented enough to be a primary playmaker but he's carved out a place for himself among the more steady backups in the league.
With the Bucks, Dellavedova will split time with incumbent starter Michael Carter-Williams. He's a nice fit for Jason Kidd's squad because the plan is to move Giannis Antetokounmpo to the point guard position full time. Dellavedova can spot up off him on offense and guard opposing point guards on defense.