Delly's dilemma: Four clubs in waiting game

Delly's dilemma: Four clubs in waiting game

Saturday, April 5, 2025

If it’s not Melbourne, where next for the Boomers champion?

Perth? Sydney? Brisbane? Melbourne?

Matthew Dellavedova has a huge choice to make as to his playing future, and it’s a decision that’s likely to come as soon as this weekend.

According to the panel on The Marketplace, the Sydney Kings loom as the most likely home for ‘Delly’, but it’s still very much in the air.

“Melbourne United are still in with a chance to bring Delly back ... (but) the more I’m hearing, more my vibe is, I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Peter Hooley said.

“I think Delly’s going to be on the move.”

So if it’s not Melbourne, where next for the Boomers champion?

Hooley, Derek Rucker and Olgun Uluc all believe Sydney is the front-runner for Dellavedova's services.

But Rucker says it's the Wildcats who should make Dellavedova their number one target, following Bryce Cotton’s departure.

“You’ve got to give him exactly what he wants, because once you get him, now you can change things up a little bit … maybe you can go get a Keandre Cook and put him in the two and your roster looks really good,” he said.

“You go Dellavedova, Cook, Windler, Doolittle.”

“This is the hard thing about the domino with Delly though,” Hooley continued.

“You put all your eggs in that basket, how long do you wait? If you get Delly. you’re putting all your eggs in that import-five basket to try and make a big splash.

“But if you don’t get Delly, maybe they have to turn their attention very quickly to Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.

“That domino of Delly is everything for Perth.”

“If they don’t get Delly, then they’ve got to try a godfather offer for Will McDowell-White … I’m not even sure if he takes that this season,” Uluc continued.

“If they don’t do that, you have to think about who is out there at a marquee level that can fill all these spots.”

Brisbane also looms large, with Hooley saying the addition of new coach Stu Lash could play into their favour.

“I’m wondering if the Stu Lash signing becomes a little bit more enticing for a guy like Delly,” Hooley said.

“You’ve got no head coaching experience with Stu Lash coming in ... you get to shape it. You get to shape everything that goes on.

“If he’s going to go to the Brisbane Bullets, he’s setting that tone for the jump, so everyone else has to go along for the ride.”

“If they can get Dellavedova ... I’m giving Delly anything he wants,” Rucker added.

So now, we wait.

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