Sacramento Kings: Keeping Matthew Dellavedova the right move

With the NBA preseason wrapped up and the season on the verge of kicking off, tough decisions were made across the entire NBA. That was no different for the Sacramento Kings as they needed to cut their roster down to 15 for the 2022-23 regular season. The challenging final decision involved the fate of NBA veteran Matthew Dellavedova, who ultimately earned one of the team’s 15 roster spots.

While many fans from around the league will gloss over the decision to keep Delly, and some Kings fans will think little of it, it’s a more impactful decision than many realize. Delly brings much more to the team than just being an end-of-the-bench guy.

Why keeping Matthew Dellavedova was the right move for the Kings

Guard depth is something every team needs. That is the most obvious and clear thing Dellavedova brings to the Kings roster, so it must be included in why the Kings made the right decision. It is far from the only reason, though.

Dellavedova is a smart veteran who has championship experience in the NBA. There is a  reason he has played the number of years he has in the league, and the Kings are wise to add another season to his career list.

Not only does he have experience reaching the NBA’s mountain top, but he has experience specifically with head coach Mike Brown. Brown is in his first year with the Kings and having players he is familiar with will help him get across to the rest of the Kings roster.

Dellavedova can act in the hybrid kind of role as a bridge between the coaching staff and the team’s top point guards, De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell. Both will benefit immensely from having a smart veteran that knows what the coaches are looking for and expecting.

Like Harrison Barnes, Delly is a veteran that the younger players in the locker room can lean on throughout the course of the NBA season. Both have seen a lot in the league and while their actual on-court roles are very different, they both will be relied on to help the rest of the team reach their goals.

A huge added bonus for the presence of Dellavedova on the roster is that he can be asked to play, if and when he is needed. He isn’t expecting some large role and knows what he is being asked to do, but in times of need, coach Brown knows exactly what he can get out of the veteran guard.

He can hit open shots, will give his all on defense and extra effort plays and is smart with the ball in his hands. In the preseason, he managed seven assists while turning the ball over just one time. Having this option is far from the worst depth piece the Kings could have instead.

In practice, the younger guards that will truly dictate this team’s fate will get to learn from Delly day in and day out. Seeing his effort on defense and how he won’t take a play off on that end is something any young guard can learn from. His commitment to taking care of the ball is also an area all young guards can grow in.

Dellavedova won’t be playing too many more seasons in the NBA as an active player. The decision to keep him on the Kings final roster was right, though, and the benefits from it are going to be large. You won’t see them in a box score, but that has rarely been the case for Dellyin his NBA career.