De’Anthony Melton ranked in the Top 5 of the most underrated offseason moves in the NBA
Everyone knows the story at this point. James Harden took a massive pay cut to basically save the Philadelphia 76ers offseason by giving them room to operate in free agency.
The offseason additions of PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr helped solidify the Sixers‘ depth and give them a few “dawgs” in the locker room, something they were clearly missing last season while battling through injuries in the playoffs.
In my opinion, one of the best moves the 76ers made was on draft night, sending Danny Green and the No. 23 pick for Memphis Grizzlies De’Anthony Melton. The 24-year old guard from Southern California has four years of NBA experience and continues to progress into an extremely reliable two-way guard. There’s no doubt that he will become a very important piece for the Sixers bench in the 2022-23 season.
Bleacher Report put together a list of the Top 10 Most Underrated Moves in the NBA this offseason, and the Sixers acquiring Melton ranked 4th in the entire league.
Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris will largely carry the load for the Philadelphia 76ers this season, but De’Anthony Melton’s presence as a sixth man, playmaker and pesky defender could push them over the edge as a true title threat.
The 24-year-old can lock down opposing guards on the perimeter, and he finished second behind only new teammate Matisse Thybulle in steal percentage (3.0) last season. Melton also hit 40.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, making him a great fit next to Harden.
With two years and $16.3 million remaining on his contract, Melton is a low-cost, big-impact rotation member who was one of the smartest offseason trade acquisitions.
De’Anthony Melton in the Drew League
Low Cost. Big Impact. Melton provides the Sixers an aggressive two-way approach to basketball and significant tenacity on the defensive end.
The 76ers have lacked players who can impact the game on both ends of the floor and reliable bench pieces. With this addition, they are getting both.
Side Note: The Grizzles, and more specifically, Ja Morant, were extremely upset with losing Melton, which is fantastic news for the 76ers.
Only time will tell if this move works out for the Sixers, but on paper, this is viewed as one of the most underrated moves during the NBA offseason.
Mandatory Credit: Getty Images
