Australian basketball has been bolstered by some big news- big man Andrew Bogut has inked a massive extension with the Golden State Warriors while undrafted rookie Matthew Dellavedova officially made the Cleveland Cavaliers 2013-14 roster.
Bogut is Australia’s highest paid athlete and will bank up to a further $44 million over the course of the next three seasons.
The oft-injured center signed an extension with the Golden State Warriors worth a guaranteed $36 million- a deal that could reach almost $44 million based on incentive targets- however the 29-year-old’s run with poor health, which extended into his debut year with Golden State last season, makes the deal a risky one.
Bogut appears to be near 100% health despite a back scare last week and used the off-season to slim down dramatically. He’s hoping to play the most games of his career for the NBA title contending Warriors and add to career averages of 12.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.58 blocks per game.
“I am so happy to get this deal done and want to personally thank Bob Myers and the Warriors owners, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, for believing in me as a person and my skills on the court,” Bogut told the Warriors’ website.
“I absolutely love living in the Bay Area and playing in front of our incredible fans. I’ve said all along that this is where I want to be long term and now I look forward to starting the season and working with my teammates and coaches to continue building on the foundation that we laid last year.”
In Cleveland, undrafted Matthew Dellavedova claimed one of the final Cavalier roster spots.
The 23-year-old completed an outstanding career at St Mary’s college and an impressive run with the Australian Boomers at the 2012 Olympics, but forced to take the tough road in order to turn his NBA dreams into reality.
Dellavedova has been rewarded with a two-year partially-guaranteed $1.35 million contract and will back up Kyrie Irving and Jarret Jack as the team’s third point guard.
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Photos: Getty Images (ChinaFotoPress)
