Matthew Dellavedova Be Like…
The Milwaukee Bucks headed into free agency desperately needing to add some shooting to an athletic young core that plays hard-nosed defense and gets to the rim.
And when backup point guard was added to the list of needs with Jerryd Bayless"s departure to Philadelphia, Bucks GM John Hammond moved quickly to address that issue as well.
The Bucks agreed to terms with free agent shooter Mirza Teletovic on a three-year deal worth $30 million, Teletovic"s agent announced on Friday.
The team also agreed to terms on a four-year, $38.4 million offer sheet with restricted free agent Matthew Dellavedova, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move.
And with an eye toward a much splashier acquisition, the Bucks are in talks with free agent guard Dwyane Wade, ESPN and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Wade, who played college basketball at Marquette, is in discussions with the Bucks and Knicks, according to ESPN. The Journal Sentinel said the 34-year-old Chicago native, a perennial All-Star who has played his entire 13-year career in Miami, has set up a meeting with Bucks officials next week.
No contracts can be signed until Thursday, after next seasons salary cap is set and a league-imposed moratorium is lifted.
The Cavaliers will have three days to match the offer sheet for Dellavedova. But with so much money already devoted to Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert while needing to re-sign LeBron James, J.R. Smith and possibly Richard Jefferson, it appears that they will be content to let the backup point guard leave for big money elsewhere.
"Congrats to my brother! @matthewdelly on his deal!" James tweeted on Friday. "Good luck in Milwaukee! Very deserving to you and your family."
The Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer to Dellavedova earlier this week to make him a restricted free agent. But the Bucks will make it very difficult for them to match that offer to retain him.
The 25-year-old Australian was undrafted but has played three years in Cleveland and forged a reputation as a hard-nosed competitor who could occasionally rankle opponents with his play. He averaged 7.5 points and 4.4 assists in 24.6 minutes per game last season, but was not much of a factor in the playoffs as the Cavaliers captured the city"s first sports championship in 52 years.
But Dellavedova was vital for Cleveland during the finals a year ago when Kyrie Irving shattered his kneecap. The 6-foot-4 guard is a relentless defender, James joked during a rally last week that if Dellavedova was battling a bear for a loose ball that "Delly would tear that d**n bear up."
That mentality will fit nicely in Milwaukee, where the Bucks boast a roster that takes pride in the defensive end.
What the team needed as much as anything was a shooter to open up the offense and spread the opposing defense out. Teletovic should fit that bill after hitting 39 percent of his 3-pointers for Phoenix last season.
Teletovic is reuniting with Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who coached him in Brooklyn. He missed half of the season in 2014-15 because of a blood clot in his lungs, but was able to return to play in the playoffs for the Nets.
He then delivered a bounce-back year with the Suns, averaging a career-high 12.0 points in 79 games. His presence on the perimeter should give dynamic youngsters Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker more room to work and also draw some attention away from sharpshooter Khris Middleton.
O.J. Mayo banned for 2 years
O.J. Mayo, who spent the past three seasons with the Bucks,was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA on Friday for violating the terms of the league"s anti-drug program, the first player to receive that punishment in a decade.
The league said the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 draft out of USC is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.
Mayo, 28, averaged 7.8 points in 41 games last season, including 24 starts.
According to rules of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, information regarding the testing or treatment of a player can"t be disclosed by the league, his team or the union. However, there are only a few violations that would lead to Mayo"s punishment.
A player can be dismissed or disqualified from the NBA for testing positive for a drug of abuse, or if he is convicted of or pleads guilty to the use, possession or distribution of a drug of abuse.
The list of drugs of abuse includes amphetamines, cocaine, LSD and opiates such as heroin, codeine and morphine.
A third positive test for a performance-enhancing drug also leads to a player being dismissed and disqualified, as does being convicted of or pleading guilty to a crime involving the use, possession or distribution of one.
The last player to receive the penalty was Chris "Birdman" Andersen in January 2006, when he was playing for the New Orleans Hornets. He was reinstated in March 2008, won a championship with Miami in 2013 and spent last season with the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies.
Mayo was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves but his rights were dealt to Memphis in exchange for Kevin Love"s. Mayo played four seasons for the Grizzlies and one for the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Bucks. He has averaged 13.8 points in 547 career games.
Source: http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/basketball/professional/bucks-mirza-teletovic-matthew-dellavedova-headed-to-milwaukee-dwyane-wade/article_17052af7-ba40-50e8-a542-18dd51e09223.html
