Keon Ellis already feels the Cavs vibe, with a push from Matthew Dellavedova

The Cavaliers debuted three new faces at Rocket Arena last Wednesday, and the building responded the way Cleveland always does. Loud. Locked in. Ready.

For newcomer Keon Ellis, none of it came as a surprise.

That’s because shortly after he was traded, Ellis heard from someone who knows exactly how this city works. That would be none other than Matthew Dellavedova.

“Matthew texted me when I got traded,” Ellis said after the Cavs’ home win over the Wizards. “He was like, ‘Yeah, you’ll love it. Definitely a sports city.’ The energy tonight was real.”

Dellavedova remains a folk hero in Northeast Ohio. His first stint with the Cavs peaked during the 2016 title run, when Cleveland stunned the Warriors after trailing 3-1 in the Finals. He left for a payday with the Bucks, then returned in 2018 as a veteran stabilizer before eventually heading back home to Australia.

Ellis crossed paths with Dellavedova later in Sacramento with the Kings, and the connection stuck.

Like Delly, Ellis took the long road. Undrafted. Two years of junior college. Alabama. A two-way deal. Earned everything. Nothing handed to him.

“I literally took just about every path to not make it,” Ellis said. “Crazy that I ended up here. Definitely blessed.”

What drives him is simple.

“I just want to win,” he said. “When the team wins, everyone wins. I try to make winning plays.”

Cavs fans tend to love players like that. Relentless defenders. No ego. Constant pressure.

Dellavedova built his reputation that way. Ellis is just getting started.

Different paths. Same mindset. And now, the same city.