Former NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova has spent the last year in Australia’s NBL competition, where he played for six-time champions Melbourne United.

The 31-year-old took the tough road to success as he went undrafted in 2013 but would end up joining the Cleveland Cavaliers during the Summer League and impressed enough to earn himself a contract.

In the end, this would be a smart move by the Cavaliers as Dellavedova was a part of their NBA Championship-winning team just three years later.

At the end of the season, he would join the Milwaukee Bucks and play in the 2017-18 playoff series for them before returning to Cleveland.

In July 2021, Dellavedova went back to Australia to play for defending champions Melbourne United for the 2021-22 season. He has earned himself a return to the NBA with the Sacramento Kings.

Dellavedova will be linking back up with Sacramento’s head coach, Mike Brown, with whom he won the 2016 NBA Championship in Cleveland.

He also farewelled Melbourne United in a statement put out by the team.

“I’ve loved every minute of my time with Melbourne United,” said Dellavedova.

“Playing for Melbourne in front of family and friends has been awesome.

“My first year with the club was filled with so many great moments and was one of my most enjoyable years playing basketball, with the group of boys we had.

“I appreciate the club making me feel so welcome and getting me healthy and playing at a high level again.

“I feel like I’ve got unfinished business here, so hopefully, I can return down the track and help United win a championship. I will definitely be following the team and supporting from afar this season.”

The Kings will not be feeling the love from Punters this season as they are currently favoured to finish last in the Pacific Division and are one of the favourites to finish last in the Western Conference.

Sacramento will be hoping that Dellavedova can be as valuable a signing to them as he was for Cleveland back in 2013 when they were in not too dissimilar a position to what the Kings are in now.