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 (appro ...

player who last played for the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

of the

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

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. 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 in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...

, 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. 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 of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

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 teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including internationa ...

with the 46th pick, but was traded to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

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 Southwest Division of the ...

in July 2019. Melton spent three seasons in Memphis before being traded to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially 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 Atlan ...

during the 2022 off-season. He has also played for 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 Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

High school career

Melton graduated from

Crespi Carmelite High School Crespi Carmelite High School, shortly known as Crespi, is a private Catholic all-boys four-year college preparatory high school located in Encino District, Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The school was na ...

Encino, California Encino is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History Etymology The name Encino is the misspelling in masculine of Encina, the Spanish language, Spanish word for "holm oak” (Quercus ilex). The Spanis ...

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 junior, Melton averaged 15.5 points. Melton had the game winning block in the state championship against Capital Christian High School in 2015. As a senior, Melton averaged 20 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.5 steals. As a three-star recruit, he committed to the

on November 20, 2015. He was one of three finalists for Mr. Basketball as the state player of the year, was named MaxPrep All-State first team, L.A. Times All-Area and the Daily News Player of the Year.

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 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. ( or , born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently the co-owner of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He is also currently the host of the American a ...

. 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 Sacr ...

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 the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

. 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 for the Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies men's basketball, Wash ...

. 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

, 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 Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

. 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, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play as the Long ...

, Phoenix's development team in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

, 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. 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 Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. 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 Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. 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 Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers. A point guard for ...

and

Kyle Korver Kyle Elliot Korver (born March 17, 1981) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the assistant general manager for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for ...

. 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. 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 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, 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 Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

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 Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

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

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

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

, in the second round. Melton finished 8th in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, during the 2021-22 NBA Awards voting.

Philadelphia 76ers (2022–2024)

On June 24, 2022, Melton was traded to the

in exchange for Danny Green and the draft rights to David Roddy. 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. Melton finished the 2022–23 season with the 76ers averaging 10.1 points and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39% from beyond the 3-point line. Melton sustained a back injury during the 2023–24 season that limited his play to 38 games. Melton achieved career high averages in free-throw percentage (83.5%) and points per game (11.1), while matching his career high 1.6 steals per game from the previous season.

Golden State Warriors (2024)

On July 8, 2024, Melton signed with the

. In 6 games (2 starts) for the Warriors, he averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. On November 20, it was announced that Melton would require season-ending surgery to repair a partially-torn ACL.

Brooklyn Nets (2024–2025)

On December 15, 2024, Melton was traded, alongside

Reece Beekman Reece Avery Beekman (born October 8, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. He played college bask ...

and three unprotected second round draft picks to the

in exchange for

Dennis Schröder Dennis Schröder ( ; ; born 15 September 1993) is a German professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for SG Braunschweig and Phantoms Braunschweig in Germany, bef ...

and 2025 second round draft pick.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 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 * Mem ...

, 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 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 77 , , 58 , , 27.9 , , .425 , , .390 , , .793 , , 4.1 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 33 , , 26.9 , , .386 , , .360 , , .835 , , 3.7 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 6 , , 2 , , 20.2 , , .407 , , .371 , , .625 , , 3.3 , , 2.8 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 10.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 356 , , 148 , , 22.9 , , .410 , , .369 , , .779 , , 3.7 , , 2.8 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , 9.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 16.7 , , .355 , , .300 , , .600 , , 3.2 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .8 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 17.0 , , .323 , , .250 , , .750 , , 3.1 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 0 , , 24.9 , , .383 , , .388 , , .750 , , 3.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 0 , , 7.2 , , .000 , , .000 , , , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 27 , , 0 , , 19.8 , , .352 , , .313 , , .706 , , 3.1 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .7 , , 6.4

College

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

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

, 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 sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American men's basketball players Basketball players from Los Angeles Golden State Warriors players 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