Rockets select USC guard, Purdue forward in second round.
Additional pick in 2nd round used on Purdue senior
Without a first-round pick, the Rockets came away with something they hope will be the next-best thing, landing a player that in other circumstances Rockets general manager Daryl Morey believed would have been a top 20 selection.
The Rockets used the 46th pick of Thursday’s NBA draft to select Southern Cal guard De’Anthony Melton, a prospect who did not play last season because of his connection to the FBI investigation into NCAA corruption, an absence that Morey said made him a victim of “out of sight, out of mind.”
Six picks later, the Rockets went in a different direction, but again in the hope they landed a second-round bargain.
After taking the inexperienced potential of Melton, they bought the 52nd pick of the draft from the Utah Jazz to select Purdue forward Vincent Edwards, a more polished senior with a well-rounded offensive game highlighted by solid 3-point range.
The Rockets did not have a first-round pick, having sent it to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul trade. Morey said there was one deal in the works that would have moved the Rockets to the 20 to 25 range, but unlike past seasons, he said nothing was close.
He said there were also talks about a “larger deal” to acquire multiple draft picks, but he said “no one would have focused on that part of the deal,” indicating it would have involved players. He did not specify who would have been involved but said he was unable to gain traction on those talks.
Instead, the Rockets sought Edwards and adjusted when Melton was still available.
“We were really targeting Vincent,” Morey said. “We were very happy. If he had been at 46, we thought was an extremely good player. Melton was someone we had much higher on our board. So we took Melton and acquired the pick to get Vincent.”
A 6-3 guard with a 6-8 wingspan, Melton used effectively as a disruptive defender, he had showed enough as a freshman to have been considered a possibility for teams picking late in the first round.
An outstanding athlete, he is considered a strong prospect defensively, especially effective in the open court, but needs to improve his shot, his primary focus in the months he was out. Melton averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 assists as a freshman. He led his high school, Encino Crespi, to consecutive California state championships.
“Melton has extremely high defensive potential,” Morey said. “We’re a team that likes to switch. He is someone that is very impactful defensively. Offensive game — he can really pass the ball. His shots improved and we feel like will definitely be solid in the future. We had him rated as one of the top guys in the draft. So we’re pretty excited there.
“You would have rather have a guy play than not play. He’s a guy if he had played we feel pretty comfortable he’d be a top 20 pick. That’s why we were really happy to get him there. I think he was out of sight, out of mind. That played into our advantage that he was still available.”
Morey said the Rockets looked into Melton’s role in the NCAA scandal and said it was “not an issue.”
“It was unfortunate he wasn’t able to play this year at USC,” he said.
The 6-8 Edwards played 138 college games, averaging 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds as a senior when he made 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
“We’ve had a lot of success with guys who’ve had longer careers in college,” Morey said. “He sort of can do it all. He can defend multiple positions. He really fits our style of play, can shoot, can handle the ball and pass at his size and obviously, already an accomplished shooter.
“Being a four-year guy at Purdue, maybe a quicker path to the floor than Melton.”
Both are expected to play for the Rockets’ summer league team, but Morey said it was undetermined if the Rockets might use a two-way contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for either player.