The Buck Stops Here Roundtable #2: Draft Reactions, Free Agency Expectations

Rumors have strongly linked Matthew Dellavedova with Milwaukee as a destination for his impending free agency. Do you want to see the Bucks sign Delly? If so, for how much?

AM: Want is a strong word.

The best way I can answer this is by saying that if we consider the team’s needs, he fits better than about 95% of the realistic options this summer.

He’s one of a very small number of guys in the league who have experience of playing in the exact role most of us believe Milwaukee’s point guard should take on. Plus he’s available and affordable.

For as much as everyone dislikes him for his chippy, aggressive play, and let’s be frank, his lack of talent in a variety of areas, if he was to become a Buck his effort and determination would win people over very quickly.

In free agency, only re-signing Jerryd Bayless or signing Deron Williams seem like potentially better point guard moves to me, and to be honest, Delly’s defensive effort makes him a better fit.

Anything less than $10m and I’ll sit back, watch the world burn, and be quietly happy that the team might have made an unpopular but effective decision.

TP: Dellavedova seems to be a pretty solid fit for what the Bucks need out of the point guard spot; he’ll hit open shots and get after it on the defensive end.

I’m not sure I want the Bucks to be the team that pays him 10 million dollars, but I would happily accept him into the vacant “O.J.Mayo slot”, and be fairly confident that he would do more to earn it than O.J. did last season.

TWindisch: I would really like the Dellavedova signing, for the right price. With Cleveland having their hands full trying to keep LeBron James plus handling the rest of their roster moves, stealing Delly away won’t be impossible this summer.

The price is obviously important though. Somewhere around $7 or $8 million per year for three or four years seems like a pretty reasonable deal, considering where the cap is heading. That’s less than 10 percent of your cap space on a guy who will probably start at point guard for the duration of his deal–not a bad deal at all.

Delly is one of those players who everybody hates–except the fans of his team and his teammates. Let’s get him on the Bucks, if for no other reason than to stop him from playing against the Bucks.

JT: I’m already doing the infamous Delly pose as we speak.

I think any potential offer he could get will likely make a lot of Bucks fans angry, but there might not be a better fit of the point guards available in free agency than Dellavedova.

Also, just because the Bucks would theoretically sign him to a long-term deal, doesn’t mean he’s the long-term starting option at point guard.

We’ve talked about all throughout the season about what the Bucks need from a point guard and as much as might irritate some fans, the Bucks could do a lot worse than sign Dellavedova.

JH: I like Ti’s price point of $7/8 million per year. That would make a Delly deal feel right in my mind.

However, I think it’s going to cost someone around $11 million per year because of his perceived value. I do think he is a good fit for the Bucks but I would be frustrated if they broke the bank for him.

TWray: It’s an unpopular opinion, but unsurprisingly, I’m a Matthew Dellavedova fan and would love to see him in a Bucks uniform next season.

To clear the air, Delly isn’t a dirty player, he’s a competitor. Here’s a guy who went undrafted and was then thrown a lifeline by the Cavs. Conceivably at any time over the first two years in the league he could he have been waived. He was playing for his career every night, so of course he’s going to be scrappy and diving for every loose ball in sight. I just love how the same people who say that the NBA has gone ‘soft’ compared to the 80s and 90s, complain when Delly gets a bit physical on court. If you want to see a dirty player, look no further than Draymond Green.

Anyway, I understand why it would be an unpopular signing among Bucks fans, but he’s the best fit at point guard Milwaukee is going to find at an affordable price during free agency. Delly is almost perfect for the Bucks. He’s going to give the team hard nosed defense, decent three-point shooting and hustle, three things the Bucks desperately need. But perhaps most importantly, as Adam and Jordan discussed on Win In 6, he’s spent the last two seasons on a championship team alongside a ball dominant point forward in LeBron James. What else could better ready a point guard to play a similar role in the Bucks offense with Giannis?

Ideally the Bucks sign him for $7-8 million and everyone’s happy. However, I think it’s going to cost Milwaukee between $10-12 million, and it won’t make Bucks fans happy, but the front office is going to give it to him.

Like Ti said, at least everyone will love him once he’s a Buck.

Next: Possible Free Agency Targets?