Undrafted point guard Keifer Sykes signs with Cavs
Keifer Sykes might be the next Matthew Dellavedova. At least that's what the Cleveland Cavaliers hope.
Undrafted PG Keifer Sykes from UW-Green Bay signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Cavs. He'll try to be their next Dellavedova.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 26, 2015
The 6-foot Sykes was not chosen by an NBA team during Thursday's draft after completing four years at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Moments after the draft, Sykes announced that he would be signing a summer league contract with the Cavs (partially guaranteed), making way for a Dellavedova parallel.
The story goes, immediately after the 2013 NBA Draft, then-Cavs general manager Chris Grant entered into a bidding war with the New York Knicks, among other teams, for the undrafted Dellavedova's services. Eventually, Grant and the Cavs won out and landed their man on a $100,000 non-guaranteed contract.
Delly's gritty play, in conjunction with a season-ending injury to Cav's starting point guard Kyrie Irving, earned him the opportunity to play a significant role in the Cav's championship round matchup versus the Golden State Warriors.
A starter on the NBA's grandest stage, Dellavedova had the lowest salary of any player in the finals. His 20-point outing in Game 3 helped was the cherry on top of a collection of performances that earned him global notoriety.
Now, the Cavs hope to capitalize on a similar bargain with Sykes.
"He deserved to be drafted into the NBA," said former UWGB associate head coach Brian Barone. "His athleticism is special, but he also has a basketball skill level that will shine through as he continues his journey."
In his senior year (2014-15), Sykes, a two-time Horizon League player of the year, averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, four assists, and 1.7 steals.