Matthew Dellavedova’s million dollar deal explained

THIS was supposed to be the off-season Matthew Dellavedova got paid, the summer the breakout star secured his long-term financial future.

IT WAS supposed to be the off-season Matthew Dellavedova got paid. The summer he followed in the footsteps of breakout NBA Finals performers like JJ Barea, Gary Neal and Patrick Mills by securing his long-term financial future.

But after some suggested his asking price was about $4 million a season, it was announced this morning the Australian guard has inked a one-year contract worth just $1.2 million to stay in Cleveland. For most people that’s a chunk of money not to be sneezed at, but of the players the Cavaliers have under contract for 2015/16 only second-year guard Joe Harris will be paid less.

So why were the Cavs able to sign Dellavedova at such a bargain price?

LACK OF INTEREST

AS a restricted free agent, Dellavedova needed another team to come to the table with an offer to force Cleveland to up its deal. Despite some reported interest from the Portland Trailblazers and Los Angeles Lakers, none was forthcoming.

While Dellavedova’s desire to stay in Cleveland may have limited the interest of other teams, there is also still doubt over whether he has the ability to be a long-time player in the league.

Is he the player who helped contain MVP Stephen Curry and scored 20 points in Game 3 of the finals? Or the player who averaged 4.8 points and three assists in just under 21 minutes per game during the regular season?

“In two years in the league, Dellavedova has proven himself to be a tough and willing defender,” SB Nation’s Yaron Weitzman said. “He’s also connected on 39 per cent of his three-point attempts in his career. Whether he can handle the ball well enough to serve as a full-time backup point guard remains to be seen.”

Dellavedova defends Stephen Curry.

SALARY CAP PRESSURE

HAVING already signed a host of players — including high-priced stars LeBron James and Kevin Love — to new contracts this off-season, the Cavaliers are already projected to overspend the NBA’s $70 million salary cap significantly in 2015/16.

Right now the Cavs have about $88 million committed to their team — and they are still yet to reach agreements with Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith.

The Cavs couldn’t afford to spend anymore and they weren’t blinking either. Brendan Haywood and LeBron favourite Mike Miller were jettisoned to Portland for tax relief. Dellavedova understood that pressure and knew it was the wrong time to dig his heels in for a big money offer.

TIMING

AS we saw when David West took an $11 million pay cut to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, it’s worth giving up a bit of cash to play on a contender. Dellavedova is still at the start of his career and doesn’t have the financial security a player like West does, but winning a championship is his biggest driving force.

Another motivation, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, was Dellavedova’s desire to have his contract situation resolved before next month’s Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand.

Makes good sense for Dellavedova to play out next season on qualifying offer with Cavs so far into luxury tax and reluctant to spend further

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 27, 2015

Word is that another motivation for Delly is knowing exactly where he stands for next season before starting national team run with Aussies

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 27, 2015

Hope for Dellavedova is that there's a better chance to secure a favorable offer sheet as an RFA next summer when 20+ teans have cap space

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 27, 2015

HEALTHY COMPETITION

CLEVELAND gained an edge in its negotiations with Dellavedova by signing point guard Mo Williams during free agency.

While Williams can’t play defence like Dellavedova, he is a capable back-up for starter Kyrie Irving and if push came to shove the Cavs may have felt they could survive without the Australian.

Williams’ presence ensures Dellavedova will have to battle for court time this season — a factor which could impact his ability to show he’s worth a multi-year contract next off-season.

ROLLING THE DICE

ACCEPTING a one-year contract is a somewhat risky move. Dellavedova’s market value could disappear if he struggles to play next season or suffers a major injury. But it could also work in his favour.

“By accepting the Cavs’ qualifying offer, Dellavedova will become an unrestricted free agent next summer when the league’s salary cap is set to balloon,” ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin wrote.

If he can improve on last season’s performance there will be plenty of teams with money to spend and hopefully Delly will have a ring on his finger by then as well.

Originally published as Matthew Dellavedova’s million dollar deal explained