Cleveland Cavaliers' Draft Strategy May Affect Matthew Dellavedova's Future

It’s tough to believe many Cleveland Cavaliers fans were too concerned with last night’s NBA Draft. For one, the team came into the night without a single pick. Secondly, the excitement from the Cavs’ NBA Championship is still alive and well throughout the fanbase, so it’s doubtful anyone really cared about the draft in general.

So, it may have surprised a few to see Cleveland actually found a way to hop into the night, purchasing a second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks. With the selection, the Cavs took point guard Kay Felder out of Oakland University.

It’s actually quite an intriguing pick, as Felder led the nation in assists last year, while finishing fourth overall in scoring. The 5-foot-9 point guard finished last season as the Horizon League Player of the Year.

While the addition of Felder is intriguing, how it affects one of the current Cavaliers is even more interesting. Guard Matthew Dellavedova is about to become a restricted free agent, and Cleveland adding a rookie who plays the same position certainly makes you wonder how this impacts his future.

Along with Dellavedova and Felder, the Cavs also have Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams on their point guard depth chart. Williams just picked up his option for next year, and obviously Irving isn’t going anywhere. Cleveland paying for the right to select Felder certainly implies the team has plans to keep him around.

So where does this leave Dellavedova?

The Australian guard re-signed with the Cavs last summer, betting on himself and only opting for a one-year, $1.2 million deal. The move turned out to be savvy, as Dellavedova saw stat increases across the board, especially in PPG. A strong performance through the first three rounds of the playoffs increased the odds he would get a significant raise this summer.

However, his minutes saw a steep decline in the Finals, as he wasn’t able to contribute the same strong defense against the Golden State Warriors this year as he was in 2015. After averaging 14 minutes on the court in the first two games of the series, he only played a combined 18 minutes across the next five.

Now, combining his removal from the core rotation with the selection of Felder, you have to wonder if maybe Cleveland is starting to plan for life without Dellavedova.

What makes it all more intriguing is the fact he’ll be a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer sheet another team gives him. While it’s tough to believe anyone is preparing a max deal for Dellavedova, he’d certainly be a solid bench addition for more than a few teams. If a franchise presents him with an offer sheet Cleveland deems a bit too rich for its liking, things will get interesting.

Already stocked up with point guards, the Cavs would have to determine if they’d be okay paying Dellavedova more than they believe he’s worth. He’s certainly earned a pay increase despite his decrease in Finals minutes, but he and the team may not see eye-to-eye on just how much of a raise he deserves.

We’re sure to see more developments here once the free agency window opens up next Friday. Cleveland certainly made things interesting off the bat with its selection of Felder. Whether or not he’s viewed as Dellavedova’s replacement isn’t confirmed just yet, and will depend largely on how contract negotiations go this summer.

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