Kay

Felder

Felder was arrested on suspicion of assault and making threats Sunday, a police spokesperson stated. Raptors 905 announced Felder’s release Monday afternoon in a statement: “Raptors 905 guard Kay Felder was charged by police in connection with an allegation of domestic violence. Raptors 905 have waived Felder, effective immediately. As this matter is before the courts, Raptors 905 will not comment further.”

Mo Williams is likely going to retire due to lingering concerns about his knee, and the Cavaliers probably aren’t ready to hand rookie Kay Felder significant minutes behind Kyrie Irving right away. If the Cavs do sign another PG, Felder may not be in the rotation on opening night.

In order to select Felder, Cleveland purchased this pick from the Atlanta Hawks for $2.4 million. Felder, who measured a smidge over 5'8" at the NBA Draft Combine, is considered an explosive athlete with the capability to score in bunches. The pint-sized point guard averaged 24.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.2 triples on 44 percent shooting last season in college. Unofficially, Felder tied the second best max vertical (44 inches) in draft combine history, an illustration of his intriguing athleticism. Considering his size disadvantage, Felder is an impressive defender, as well. Having said all of that, he’s unlikely to be fantasy relevant in Cleveland.

Felder’s speed was a problem for the Celtics all night long, as the 5'8" guard repeatedly penetrated the defense for easy buckets. Cavs GM David Griffin said his team needed to add another playmaker behind Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, and they paid $2.4 million to buy the No. 54 pick to select Felder, so they clearly have a high opinion of him. As good as he’s been in Vegas, he’s not a fantasy option while Kyrie is healthy.

“We are excited to welcome Kay Felder to the Cavs’ family,” Griffin said. “Kay is a dynamic playmaker, and most importantly, the type of person and competitor that we want to add to our locker room.” Felder led the nation in assists (9.3) as a senior at Oakland and was fourth in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game. He could be the third-string PG in Cleveland behind Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams, assuming Matthew Dellavedova leaves in free agency.

He’s been a real joy to watch. Despite being just 5'8", Felder had a block at the rim in transition. He has a lot of creativity and has been able to get into the lane with ease. As great as this sounds, it’s going to be tough for Felder to get minutes on the Cavs.

Even if Mo Butta does not retire, the Cavs could rid of him using the stretch provision prior to Wednesday’s deadline or look to trade him to another club. Currently under contract for $2.2 million for the 2016-17 campaign, Williams is considering going out on top as an NBA champion. Vardon cites a “desire to coach” and a “balky knee” as the major factors in the veteran point guard’s thinking. For what it’s worth, Williams was limited to just 41 games last season. Rookie Kay Felder is the only other point guard on the roster right now behind Kyrie Irving.

He’s the shortest player drafted at 5'9", but he’s lightning quick. The Cavs are still looking for depth at point guard, so maybe Felder can make the roster as a third point guard. For what it’s worth, LeBron James was a proponent of drafting Felder.

Felder was terrific in Vegas and already looks like a steal for the Cavs, who spent more than $2 million to land him with a second-round pick. He hit 2-of-5 shots from downtown tonight and deep-league owners should keep him in mind on draft day, though he’s unlikely to have much value while Kyrie Irving is healthy.

The deal is reportedly for three years at $2.5 million total with a partial $1M guarantee. As a junior last season at Oakland University, Felder was the only player in the country to rank in the Top 5 in both scoring (fourth, 24.4 ppg) and assists (first, 9.3 apg) and became just the fifth player in Division I history over the last 20 years to average over 23 points and six assists in a single season. He also played surprisingly well in Las Vegas this past summer, averaging 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.9 minutes per game. Felder will have minimal impact in Cleveland next season, as he’ll be fighting for backup minutes with Mo Williams behind starter Kyrie Irving. However, Felder is a name to keep in mind should Irving get injured at some point.