De'Anthony Melton
| No. 14 – Phoenix Suns | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
May 28, 1998 North Hollywood, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Crespi (Encino, California) |
| College | USC (2016–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2018 / Round: 2 / Pick: 46th overall |
| Selected by the Houston Rockets | |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–present | Phoenix Suns |
De'Anthony Melton (born May 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft with the 46th pick, but was traded to Phoenix before his rookie season began. He played college basketball for the USC Trojans of the Pac-12 Conference, 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.
High School career
Melton attended Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California. As a three-star recruit, he committed to the USC Trojans 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. He also 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.[1] As a result of those starts, he was projected to be a key player for USC's upcoming season.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4] 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 2018 NBA draft.[5]
Professional career
On June 21, 2018, Melton was selected with the 46th pick by the Houston Rockets in the 2018 NBA draft. He later played for the Rockets during the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the five games he played there, Melton recorded 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and an event-tying-high 3.0 steals per game. He was the only rookie that year to average such numbers during that Summer League. His best game during the event was on July 9, where he put up 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 104–90 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[6] On August 31, Melton was traded alongside Ryan Anderson to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss.[7] Melton would finally sign a deal with the Suns on September 21.[8] Melton would go from wearing #0 back in Houston to #14 for at least this season.
References
- ↑ http://www.nba.com/article/2018/08/31/phoenix-suns-acquire-ryan-anderson-trade-houston-rockets
- ↑ https://reignoftroy.com/2018/01/11/deanthony-melton-sit-remainder-usc-basketball-2017-18-season/
- ↑ "NCAA coaches among 10 arrested for corruption". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- ↑ "FBI arrests four college basketball assistants on charges of fraud". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
- ↑ "De'Anthony Melton announces he's withdrawing from USC". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
- ↑ https://hoopshabit.com/2018/07/15/houston-rockets-deanthony-melton-turns-heads-summer-league/
- ↑ "Suns Acquire Ryan Anderson and De'Anthony Melton from Houston". NBA.com. August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ https://www.nba.com/suns/press-release/phoenix-suns-sign-deanthony-melton