While the Sixers’ offseason signings of P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. haven’t panned out as hoped yet, their trade for De’Anthony Melton already looks like a slam dunk. Melton has made a convincing case to retain a starting spot permanently as the two-way connective tissue that the Sixers need alongside Joel Embiid and James Harden.
That sounds like the type of player whom the Sixers should seek to retain long term, but the NBA’s current extension rules will make it far more difficult for them to do so.
Melton signed a four-year, $34.6 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies in November 2020 that descends in value every year.