With nearly all of their players hitting the market this offseason, the general consensus is that the Philadelphia 76ers could look entirely different next season save for Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Daryl Morey already confirmed the front office’s intent to undergo a drastic turnover, and by the likes of it, even key rotation pieces could be replaced this summer.
One of the players whom the 76ers could actually look into bringing back is six-year veteran guard De’Anthony Melton, who was a starter for the team for the most part in the last two seasons. However, recent whispers in the market suggests that he could price himself out of Philly’s desired range.
76ers guard De’Anthony Melton rumored to command a hefty sum in free agency
According to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, Melton could be in line for a payday somewhere around the ballpark of $60 million in free agency, predicting that he’s likely to garner some suitors in the open market thanks to his 3-and-D capabilities.
"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"
Unfortunately for the 76ers, the front office’s posturing doesn’t seem like they would be amenable to offering Melton the same figure. While his on-court value as a steady backcourt cog cannot be denied, it’s hard to imagine them rewarding a player who’s had trouble staying on the court this season due to nagging injuries.
During the recently concluded campaign, Melton sat out 44 regular season games, including all six playoff outings and the lone play-in contest. And even in the games where he played, the 25-year-old clearly struggled, especially offensively.
While billed more as a defensive stopper, Melton was an unreliable trigger man this season, shooting a career-low 38.6 percent from the field. His three-point shooting was a tad above league average at 36 percent, but even that registered as his worst mark yet in four seasons.
Hence, if Melton does end up getting an offer along those lines, the Philadelphia 76ers are most likely to pass up on re-signing him and settle for other commodities in the market who can offer the same value without the attendant price tag and injury concerns.