Rockets select De’Anthony Melton out of USC at 46

The Rockets didn’t have a lot to work with in the 2018 NBA Draft but they may have done pretty well for themselves just the same.

The Rockets selected USC guard De’Anthony Melton with the 46th pick of the draft Thursday night. It was a surprise that Melton was available that late.

If you listened to our pre-draft podcast, you know Melton was one of my favorites of the potential second-round options, though I honestly gave it almost no chance that he would be available at this spot. In Melton, the Rockets got a 20-year old defensive-minded guard with strong measurables — just over 6’3 with a 6’8+ wingspan.

In his lone college season as a freshman, Melton averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals. He sat out his sophomore season before the draft due to an NCAA investigation where a friend of Melton’s received money. Nothing was linked to Melton directly but USC sat him out for the entire year.