The veteran guard is headed back to his native Australia.
Matthew Dellavedova is headed back to his native Australia for the next stage of his professional career.
As first reported by ESPN, Dellavedova has signed a deal with Melbourne United, a team in the NBL, for next season. Dellavedova is from Victoria, the province where Melbourne is located, and is expected to be the starting point guard for the team.
Dellavedova so far has spent eight years in the NBA, most of which were spent in Cleveland. He also played for the Bucks after helping the Cavs win the 2016 title, but was traded back a few years later. His last two seasons have been largely limited by injuries, including a concussion last year that caused him to miss most of the season.
For where Dellavedova is at in his career, this is the right move. Injuries have sapped a lot of his mobility and, even if the NBL is a quality league, it’s a step down from the NBA. It also must be cool for him to go home and play in Australia after spending the last decade-plus playing the United States.
This also means Cleveland has a clear need for a backup point guard. This was likely already the case regardless of what happened with Dellavedova, but there’s a clear hole in the roster now. It seems likely that the team will address it via the draft if they trade up or buy a pick or free agency if they prefer a veteran option.
