Former Maryland men’s basketball guard Melo Trimble agreed to a free agent deal with the Philadelphia 76ers after not being selected in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
Trimble declared for the draft and signed an agent in late March, forgoing his ability to return to Maryland for his senior season. DraftExpress listed Trimble as the No. 84 prospect in the draft, and while he worked out for multiple teams, he wasn’t one of the 60 players picked.
Among other 76ers signees, Trimble will compete for a roster spot with the team’s five 2017 draft picks, including No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, who’s also an Upper Marlboro native and played in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.
A five-star high school recruit, Trimble came to College Park as a possible one-and-done. His draft stock was the highest after his freshman season when he averaged 16.2 points and shot 41.2 percent from the 3-point line. However, he opted to stay at Maryland to develop as a facilitator.
As a sophomore, Trimble dealt with nagging hamstring issues, notching 14.8 points per game while shooting 31.5 percent on threes. The Terps entered that season with national title ambitions, but they landed a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and lost to Kansas in the Sweet 16.
Trimble tested the NBA waters by declaring for the 2016 NBA Draft without signing an agent, but he returned to school.
Trimble displayed veteran leadership as Maryland’s lone returning starter this past campaign. He averaged a career-high 16.8 points, but the 22-year-old’s draft stock likely declined due to his age and continued struggles from 3-point range.
Still, the 6-foot-3, 192-pound guard’s savvy in pick-and-rolls perhaps contributed to the 76ers signing him.
Trimble was one of the most influential players in Maryland history, powering the Terps to three consecutive NCAA tournaments after they hadn’t qualified since 2010. In 2014, he joined a team that finished 17-15 the prior season and lost five players via transfer.
A two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, Trimble led coach Mark Turgeon’s squad in scoring all three years and started every game of his career, winning 79 contests. With his poise in pressure situations, Maryland was 30-8 in games decided by six or fewer points under his guidance.
