After somehow going undrafted in 2018 (I had him ranked 18th), Melton emerged as a versatile shooting guard who plays both sides of the floor.
Offensively, he’s been subpart attacking the rim but has developed into a good shooter making 38% of his threes over the past four seasons. Meanwhile, he has enough ball handling and passing acumen to play some point guard, averaging just under three assists per game. Defensively, he causes chaos, he’s one of the best shot blocking guards in the league as well as having a very high steal rate.
Melton started the season well, averaging 27mpg 11 pts 4 reb 3 ast 0.4 blk 1.6 stl on 39% FG and 26% 3FG helping the Sixers to a 22-10 record. However, a back injury in late December interrupted his season. There was hope he could return for Philadelphia’s first round playoff series as he returned to practice, but he never made it onto the court.
The Charlotte Hornets need more playmaking, outside shooting and defensive hustle, three areas Melton excels in. For him to consider Charlotte over a contender, he would likely be sold on having a starting role next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Melton is a well-respected veteran who has played in multiple playoff series, his leadership presence would be a welcome addition. At the age of just 26, Melton projects to be in his prime during his next contract and might come at a slight discount after dealing with a back injury this past season.
The Hornets would likely have to use close to their full mid-level exception to lure Melton to the Charlotte. With several other teams have access to the same exception and with more competitive rosters, there will be plenty of competition for Melton.
JAMES PLOWRIGHT
Twitter: @British_Buzz Linked In: James Plowright Muck Rack: James Plowright About Me Bylines for: Sports Illustrated, Sky Sports NBA, SB Nation, Queen City Hoops Based in Manchester in the United Kingdom, I have covered the Charlotte Hornets since 2008. When I was 16 years old I won a blogging competition on Bobcats.com, this ignited my passion for journalism and since then I went on to write for a variety of blogs; Hornets Planet, Queen City Hoops and At The Hive. In 2022 I took on the role as site content manager for the Charlotte Hornets Fannation site (AllHornets.com). I am also the founder of the All Hornets Podcast Network, having recorded over 350+ Hornets related podcasts. Awards - The All Hornets podcast was nominated for "Best Team Podcast" in the 2022 Sports Podcast Awards. - I was nominated for "Sports Writer of the Year" in 2013 for LSU Media while studying my B.A in History and International Relations at Loughborough University.
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