Sixers’ Trade for Melton Considered a Top Underrated Move

Nobody knew what the Philadelphia 76ers would do on draft night back in June. After initially trading away their 2022 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in

Nobody knew what the Philadelphia 76ers would do on draft night back in June.

After initially trading away their 2022 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that swapped Ben Simmons and James Harden, the Sixers got the pick back as Brooklyn deferred the selection to next season.

The 76ers were set to go on the clock at No. 23 overall. Rumors leading up to draft night hinted that the Sixers were shopping the pick around in hopes of snagging a veteran to help the team win now.

However, recent history indicated that Daryl Morey and Philadelphia’s front office might select a young college standout as the Sixers used their last two first-round picks by selecting Tyrese Maxey and Jaden Springer.

The Memphis Grizzlies helped the Sixers take things in a different direction this year. With a willingness to take the injured veteran Danny Green off of the Sixers’ hands, the Grizzlies offered their veteran guard De’Anthony Melton in a trade to acquire the 23rd overall pick.

With that trade, the 76ers got rid of an aging veteran, who wouldn’t take the court until after the All-Star break at the earliest, and received a 24-year-old veteran to bring a spark off the bench. 

Fast forward a few months later, and that very trade is being dubbed as one of the NBA’s most underrated moves this offseason, according to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report.

“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.”

In a list of top ten underrated moves made this offseason, the Sixers’ Melton trade ranks fourth, right behind Miami’s re-signing of Victor Oladipo. 

After seeing Philly’s lack of reliable backcourt depth affect the 76ers in the postseason over the last couple of years, Melton should help boost the unit for next year.

Since joining the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2019-2020 NBA season, Melton has averaged just under ten points per game while knocking down 36 percent of his threes.

Melton also has 15 games worth of playoff experience. While the former Grizzlies guard isn’t battle-tested in championship matchups, the Sixers are hopeful that his value will help their team get them to the next level. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.