Last Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw three fresh faces make their home debuts at Rocket Arena. It was a highly anticipated night to watch James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis hit the floor in front of a raucous, energized crowd. It didn't come as a surprise to Ellis, who heard from a former Cleveland champion the day that he was traded to the organization. It wasn't just anybody to the Cavs faithful; it was fan favorite Matthew Dellavedova.
“Matthew, he was my teammate when I was in Sacramento,” Ellis said after Wednesday's 138-113 blowout win over the Washington Wizards. “He texted me when I got traded. He was like, ‘Yeah, you'll love it. Definitely a sports city.’ So yeah, definitely was good energy in there tonight, for sure.”
Dellavedova, known as “Delly” around Northeast Ohio, played in Cleveland twice. Fans in town had an affinity for the scrappy, hard-playing style the Aussie point guard brought every night. His most memorable years came in his first stint with the team from 2013-16, the final season of which the Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors after trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
Earning a well-deserved payday in free agency, Dellavedova played for the Milwaukee Bucks the next two-and-a-half seasons. Needing veteran leadership, the struggling Cavs traded back for him in December 2018. He stuck around until 2021 before heading back home to play for Melbourne United in the NBL.
After one season there, Dellavedova tried his hand one last time in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, where he encountered a rookie Ellis in the 2022-23 campaign.
Similar to Dellavedova, Ellis is an undrafted player who had to make it to the league the hard way. He played two years of junior college at Florida SouthWestern, then spent his upperclassmen years at Alabama. Although he stood out as a senior, NBA teams did not select him in 2022. The Kings gave him a chance with a two-way contract as a rookie, and he was converted to a standard deal in February 2024 in his second season as a pro.
“I literally took just about every path to not make it,” Ellis told ClutchPoints in his postgame presser. “So yeah, crazy that I ended up here. That's the only word I could really think of, so definitely blessed.”
“I just want to win. Like, everything else doesn't really matter to me. As long as we get the win, that's all that matters. When I was in college, our coach, Nate Oats, used to say, ‘When the tide rises, all the boats rise.’ So I think that message has just stuck. When the team wins, everyone wins. So, I just try to go out there and make winning plays. I would say that’s what drives me.”
Cleveland fans should quickly get attached to Ellis' game because of his defensive efforts and consistent pressure. It's not too far off from what the city's dearest Australian wine-and-golder brought to the table all those years ago.
Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the two continue to maintain their relationship from their days in Sacramento. Dellavedova is still going strong with the Sydney Kings, while Ellis is beginning the second chapter of his career in the place where his friend became a folk hero.
It's funny how small the world of basketball can be, isn't it?
