Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 players who likely won’t be back next season

Cleveland Cavaliers unlikely to return: 2. PG Matthew Dellavedova

Matthew Dellavedova will always be a popular figure in Cleveland. He could post up at any bar in the city and be swooned by crowds. But it may be time for his Cavs playing career to come to a close.

Staying healthy was an acute struggle for the Aussie this season. He played in just 13 games and didn’t show much of a scoring touch, averaging just 2.8 points per game while hitting an abysmal 16 percent of his three-pointers. He was still a fine distributor, though, at 4.5 assists per game.

His concussion issues aside, Dellavedova doesn’t provide much long-term upside. The guard is already 30 years old, so he’s probably not getting any better than he is now. This was arguably his worst season, so there’s a decent chance he gets worse from here.

The fact that the grizzled veteran may not be able to stay on the court should be a big concern. He was able to eat minutes when he was healthy last season, but that’s only an effective role when the team is already out of games and trying to rest young players.

But Dellavedova’s struggles to score in a league where points are on the rise is of equal concern. This season was his worst offensively, but he’s never been much of a scorer. The most points he’s ever averaged over a single season in his eight year career is 7.6 points per game. He’s also never hit more than an average of 1.3 three-pointers a game in his career.

If Dellavedova ever decides to go into coaching, he can have a spot on the Cavs bench. As for being a player? It’s time to give that bench seat to a forthcoming draft pick with a higher upside.