Delly is back!
Matthew Dellavedova has signed a contract to return to the NBA, this time with the Sacramento Kings. "Delly" last played in the NBA during the 2020-21 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with whom he won an NBA title in 2016 before a stint with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his last season with the Cavs, he averaged 2.8 points and 4.5 assists per game but appeared in just 13 games as he spent a large portion of the season on the sideline with complications from a concussion.
Welcome to Sactown, @matthewdelly! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JnZ6g4Z0Dl
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 29, 2022
He spent last season playing his trade with Melbourne United in the NBL where he averaged 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.6 minutes over 30 games. He was named All-NBL second team in his lone season with United.
Dellavedova also played a key role in helping the Australian national men's team secure their first medal during the Tokyo Olympics last year.
From the moment he signed with Melbourne United, Dellavedova let it be know that his ultimate goal was to get back to North America.
"My goal is to get back to the NBA," he said. "I feel like I’ve got a lot more left in the tank, a lot of things to improve on.”
The Kings are as a tumultuous a franchise as it gets in the NBA. They haven't made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season and since then have churned through 12 head coaches, including the most recent hire, Mike Brown.
Matthew Dellavedova contract
The Kings did not disclose the terms of Dellavedova's contract, but according to Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype, Dellavedova is signing a one-year deal that is partially guaranteed.
Source: The Sacramento Kings have signed veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal, @hoopshype has learned. Dellavedova has spent eight seasons in the NBA and won a 2016 championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 29, 2022
Sacramento Kings depth chart
The Kings currently don't have a ton of depth at guard, with only three other guards on their roster.
- De'Aaron Fox, PG
- Davion Mitchell, PG
- Mailk Monk, SG
Delly is coming in as a third-string point guard at this stage, playing behind Fox and Mitchell, but depending on what kind of lineup Brown wants to use, it wouldn't be completely surprising to see Dellavedova play off the ball in short stints, especially if one of the other guards is hurt or in foul trouble.
At this stage of his career, Dellavedova is being brought in as much for his locker-room presence for a young Kings team as he is for his on-court play. His championship experience and familiarity with Brown also factor into why the Kings signed him.
As noted earlier, Dellavedova's contract is partially guaranteed, and as always, trade season will keep the Kings' roster in flux, but Delly has more than a good chance of being with Sacramento on opening night.
