Sixers’ De’Anthony Melton Predicted to Land Big Payday in Free Agency

De'Anthony Melton has been predicted to land a nice payday for a role player in free agency this offseason.

Dec 27, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers small guard De'Anthony Melton (8) dribbles / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023-2024 NBA season didn’t treat Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton too well. Unfortunately, he faced some notable obstacles during a contract year, which clouds judgment heading into his summer of unrestricted free agency.

But if you consider a prediction put together by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, Melton is going to be just fine in his next situation.

Will Melton Cash Out?

Hughes predicts that Melton could land himself a contract worth $60 million.

Coming off a season where had just 38 appearances, that’s quite the payday for a 25-year-old player, who wrapped up his second season with the 76ers.

“A double-digit scorer in each of the least three seasons, the 25-year-old Melton brings a lot of the same plug-and-play qualities as Caldwell-Pope but won't cost nearly as much. Considering he's five years younger than KCP, you could make a case that a mere $60 million would be a bargain to lock down what should be Melton's prime seasons. It's also convenient that a projected four-year deal at the mid-level exception, which starts at $12.4 million with annual raises, should come in right around the $54 million mark. Melton only needs to beat that by a few million bucks, which shouldn't be hard to do.”

Dec 29, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (8) drives with the / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Melton is the ideal role player in the NBA. He carries real value on both ends of the floor and doesn’t require the playbook to be built around him. In 115 games with the Sixers, Melton averaged 28 minutes on the floor. During that time, he averaged ten points, three assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block per game.

While taking an average of nine shots per game, with five coming from downtown, Melton averaged 41 percent from the field, and 38 percent from three.

Would the Sixers be interested in bringing Melton back? Based on Daryl Morey’s final comments of the 2024 postseason, the short answer is yes. However, it’s necessary to note that Morey said the same about all of the team’s impending free agents.

But it’s hard to imagine there isn’t any truth behind Philly’s interest in retaining Melton. For starters, the Sixers need all of the two-way help they can get. With Melton being an active defender and a reliable catch-and-shooter, he still fits the Nick Nurse system.

Another important factor would be Melton’s relationship with the Sixers’ All-Star, Tyrese Maxey. Over the last two seasons, Melton and Maxey have grown close and focused hard on developing as the team’s starting backcourt throughout the 2023-2024 season before Melton’s back issues came up. Joel Embiid made it clear he would like to see some sort of continuity moving forward. For Maxey and Embiid, Melton is a player they have embraced over the last two seasons.

Bringing Melton back won’t be an easy task for Philadelphia, though. Per Hughes’ assessment, Melton is likely to have a “good number of suitors” on the open market. While there was a mention of multiple teams, the Orlando Magic popped up as the most notable name, considering they are Eastern Conference playoff contenders with money to spend this summer.

The Sixers won’t be bidding against themselves for Melton’s services, so his market demand will be something they have to keep in mind. In addition, Melton’s injury history with the team isn’t something to look past. While he appeared in 77 games in 2022-2023, Melton had a lingering back injury affecting him throughout the season.

While the veteran guard claimed that his back issue this past season was unrelated to the one before, he couldn’t stay on the court for more than three games when he returned on multiple occasions. Health will play a big part in where Melton lands — and so will how much he commands.