De'Anthony Melton (born May 28, 1998), nicknamed "Mr. Do Something", is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ' ...

of the

Pac-12 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...

, but did not play in the 2017–18 season due to the events relating to the

2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal The 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal was a corruption scandal, initially involving sportswear manufacturer Adidas as well as several college basketball programs associated with the brand but now involving many progra ...

. Melton was selected by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

in the second round of the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...

with the 46th pick, but was traded to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

before his rookie season began. After a season in Phoenix, he was dealt to the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

in July 2019. Melton spent three seasons in Memphis before being traded to the 76ers during the 2022 off-season.

High school career

Melton graduated from Crespi HS in Encino, Calif. in 2016, after having led his team to back-to-back state titles and leaving as the school's all-time leading scorer. As a three-star recruit, he committed to the

on November 20, 2015.

College career

Freshman year

Melton played in 36 games, starting in the last 25 games of the season that year. He averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. On January 25, in an 84–76 win over future #2 pick

Lonzo Ball Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, he played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earni ...

and UCLA, Melton had 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and a block. He followed this performance with a 16-point, 7 rebound, 6 assist, 6 steal, and 2 block game against future #1 pick

Markelle Fultz Markelle N'Gai Fultz (born May 29, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies before being selected by the Phila ...

and Washington on February 1. Melton became the first freshman to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 60 steals, and 35 blocks in their starting season since

Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...

. As a result of those starts, he was projected to be a key player for USC's upcoming season.

Sophomore year

On September 26, 2017, federal prosecutors in New York announced charges of fraud and corruption against 10 people involved in college basketball, including USC assistant coach Tony Bland. The charges allege that Bland and other members involved allegedly received benefits from financial advisers and others to influence student-athletes to retain their services. Following the announcement, USC indefinitely suspended Melton in relation to the scandal due to a family member's involvement there. On February 21, 2018, Melton announced he would withdraw from USC and declare for the

Professional career

Phoenix Suns (2018–2019)

Melton was selected with the 46th pick by the

in the

. He played for the Rockets during the

2018 NBA Summer League The 2018 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Sacramento Kings's California Classic Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. The Sacra ...

in Las Vegas. In five games, Melton recorded 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. His best game during the event was on July 9 where he made 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 104–90 win over the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

. On August 31, Melton was traded alongside Ryan Anderson to the

in exchange for Brandon Knight and

Marquese Chriss Marquese De'Shawn Chriss (born July 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies and was sel ...

. Melton signed with the Suns on September 21. He made his professional debut with the Suns on October 22, 2018, in a 123–103 loss to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

, but did not record significant playing time until October 31 in a 120–90 loss to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

. Melton was assigned to the

Northern Arizona Suns The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...

, Phoenix's development team in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

, for their first game of the season on November 3, 2018. He played the one game, a 118–108 loss to the

Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior to ...

, and was recalled to Phoenix the next day. On December 4, Melton recorded a professional high of 21 points in a 122–105 loss to the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. He also recorded a season-high 10 assists in a 102–93 win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

on January 12, 2019. Melton later suffered a right ankle sprain on January 24, leaving him out of action for close to a month before returning briefly for the NBA G League on February 20, and then played in the NBA proper three days later against the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

. On March 16, Melton recorded a career-high 8 rebounds in a 138–136 overtime win over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. Melton was 2nd in the NBA in rookie steals in 2018–19 with 1.36 spg. When Melton was on the floor, he recorded steals more frequently than any other player in the NBA, ranking 1st with 3.3 steals per 100 possessions (min. 700 total minutes played). Among rookies to start in majority of their appearances, Melton's 3.3 steals per 100 possessions are tied for 6th most all-time in Basketball-Reference's database.

Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2022)

On July 7, 2019, the Suns traded Melton, Josh Jackson, and two second round picks to the

in exchange for

Jevon Carter Leroy Jevon Carter (born September 14, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers. A point guard for t ...

and

Kyle Korver Kyle Elliot Korver (born March 17, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as the director of player affairs and development for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played col ...

. Melton made his Grizzlies debut on October 23, recording two assists in a 120–101 loss to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

. On February 20, 2020, he scored a season-high 24 points, alongside six rebounds and three assists, in a 129–125 loss to the

. On November 22, 2020, Melton re-signed with the Grizzlies on a 4-year, $34.6 million contract. On April 19, 2021, he scored a season-high 25 points, alongside eight rebounds, six assists and five steals in a 139–137 double overtime loss to the

. Melton helped the Grizzlies qualify for the playoffs for the first time since

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, and they faced the top-seeded

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

during their first-round series. Melton made his playoff debut on May 23, 2021, recording two rebounds and two assists in a 112–109 Game 1 win. The Grizzlies ended up losing the series in five games. On March 26, 2022, Melton scored a season-high 24 points, alongside three rebounds, two assists and three steals, in a 127–102 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. The Grizzlies qualified for the playoffs for a second straight season and faced the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

during their first-round series. The Grizzlies were eventually eliminated by the eventual champions, the

, in the second round.

Philadelphia 76ers (2022–present)

On June 24, 2022, Melton was traded to the

in exchange for Danny Green and the draft rights to

David Roddy David Michael Roddy (born March 27, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Colorado State Rams. In high school, Roddy playe ...

. Melton made his 76ers debut on October 18, scoring five points in a 126–117 loss to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 50 , , 31 , , 19.7 , , .391 , , .305 , , .750 , , 2.7 , , 3.2 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 60 , , 8 , , 19.5 , , .401 , , .286 , , .769 , , 3.7 , , 2.9 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 52 , , 1 , , 20.1 , , .438 , , .412 , , .804 , , 3.1 , , 2.5 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 15 , , 22.7 , , .404 , , .374 , , .750 , , 4.5 , , 2.7 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , 10.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 235 , , 55 , , 20.7 , , .409 , , .361 , , .766 , , 3.6 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 8.4

Playoffs

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, 5 , , 0 , , 16.6 , , .355 , , .300 , , .600 , , 3.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .8 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

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, 10 , , 0 , , 17.0 , , .323 , , .250 , , .750 , , 3.1 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 5.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 15 , , 0 , , 16.9 , , .333 , , .266 , , .667 , , 3.1 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .6 , , 5.8

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

, 36 , , 25 , , 27.0 , , .437 , , .284 , , .706 , , 4.7 , , 3.5 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , 8.3

References

External links

USC Trojans Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melton, De'Anthony 1998 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Los Angeles Houston Rockets draft picks Memphis Grizzlies players Northern Arizona Suns players People from North Hollywood, Los Angeles Philadelphia 76ers players Phoenix Suns players Point guards Shooting guards USC Trojans men's basketball players