3 ways to estimate how much De'Anthony Melton should be paid this offseason
By Mat Issa
Method #2: Cerebro Sports Global Search Tool
The website Cerebro Sports has a Global Search tool that allows you to compare players from different eras dating all the way back to 1980.
According to their database, there are six player seasons with similar statistical profiles to the one had by 2022-23 Melton. One of those player seasons is, ironically enough, 2020-21 Melton. So, we'll leave that player season out of this conversation.
Anyway, here are the five player seasons with similar statistical footprints and the percentage of the salary cap each of them was making during that season.
Player | Year | Age | % of Salary Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
Trevor Ariza | 2017-18 | 32 | ≈ 7.5% |
Hersey Hawkins | 1997-98 | 31 | ≈ 11.5% |
Justin Holiday | 2020-21 | 31 | ≈ 5.2% |
Carlos Delfino | 2010-11 | 28 | ≈ 6.0% |
Jae Crowder | 2021-22 | 31 | ≈ 8.6% |
All five of the players above fall in the 5.2% to 11.5% of the salary cap range. In 2024-25, that would be 7.3 to 16.2 million dollars. So, right below/above the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level.
Another interesting thing to note is that all the players in the chart above are off-ball wings. This just goes to show that while Melton is the size of a guard (6'2), he functions more like a wing.