De'Anthony Melton Shines in Drew League Playoff Game

The Philadelphia 76ers’ front office had an opportunity to bring in another rookie prospect through the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Ever since Daryl Morey signed on as Philly’s President of Basketball Operations, he’s spent first-rounders on young prospects such as Tyrese Maxey and Jaden Springer.

However, in his third Sixers draft, Morey opted to move away from the team’s first-round pick and went for a veteran prospect instead.

When the Sixers went on the clock a couple of months ago, they traded their 22nd overall selection to the Memphis Grizzlies along with the veteran forward, Danny Green. In return, the Sixers landed the 24-year-old California-born guard, De’Anthony Melton.

Melton joined the NBA in 2018 after a stint at USC. During the 2018 NBA Draft, he was a second-round pick by Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets. After a one-year stint with the Phoenix Suns and a three-year run with the Grizzlies, Melton is set to join the Sixers for the 2022-2023 season.

As Melton gears up for his first training camp with the 76ers, he’s been preparing by playing in the Pro-AM league, the Drew League. And on Saturday, Melton shined in his Drew League postseason battle.

The young guard put up 26 points, six rebounds, five assists, and snagged three steals on defense on Saturday. 

While you can only take summer showcase statistics with a grain of salt, the Sixers should still be encouraged by what their players are putting on display this summer. Last week, Tyrese Maxey was showing out in front of a Philly-based crowd at the Rumph Classic.

Then a few days ago, Furkan Korkmaz was shining overseas while representing Turkey. Now, Melton’s putting on a show in the Drew League just a couple of months before he makes his Sixers debut. 

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