No. 7 - De’Anthony Melton, Guard
I’m a little skeptical that the Sixers will truly let Melton get away or that he’d settle for a minimum contract, but he would be the ideal replacement for Caldwell-Pope. Melton is a little smaller, but he’s a rock-solid two-way shooting guard who can do a little bit of everything.
Melton defends well for his position, he can space the floor and hit shots, and he can handle the ball and pressure the rim. His finishing inside isn’t great, but that’s the case for many smaller guards. He’s already proven he can fit around an elite big man and point guard in Philadelphia, so the move to Denver should be seamless.
If there is any chance of this happening, the Nuggets should pounce on the situation and slide Melton right into their starting lineup in the KCP spot. Melton has the experience of a veteran, but he’s still somehow just 26 years old. This could be an excellent buy-low opportunity for somebody that could be a perfect fit, and ideally stick around and help the team for a long time.
That may be wishful thinking, but even if he just came for a year or two to recoup his value and get a bigger payday, we’ve seen that work out very well in Denver for a number of players and Mleton could follow a similar path.