.jpg) Melli withFenerbahçe Beko in 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 4 – Fenerbahçe Beko | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Power forward /center | ||||||||||||||
| League | BSL EuroLeague | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-01-26)26 January 1991 (age 34) Reggio Emilia, Italy | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 110 kg (243 lb) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2013:undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2007–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Reggiana | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2015 | Olimpia Milano | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | →Pesaro | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Brose Bamberg | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | New Orleans Pelicans | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Olimpia Milano | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Fenerbahçe | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Nicolò Melli (born 26 January 1991) is an Italian professionalbasketball player forFenerbahçe Beko of the TurkishBasketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and theEuroLeague. He also represents the seniorItalian national team. He mainly plays at thepower forward position, but he has also played atcenter. Melli earned anAll-EuroLeague Second Team selection in2017.
TheReggio Emilia native started his career with home town sidePallacanestro Reggiana. After an accumulation of injuries Melli was called up to train with the senior team in October 2004, at only 13. He sat on the bench during a 24 October league game (an age record) though he did not play and returned to the youth teams afterwards.[1][2]
In October 2006 he participated in the Italian leg of theJordan Classic Camp international tour, regrouping a selection of the thirty most promising under-16 players, with the MVP earning a trip to the American edition of the camp.[3]Melli was selected as co-MVP, meetingMichael Jordan and going to the U.S. in April 2007.[4][5]He talked of recruiting interest from American collegeUCLA during the same period.[6]
In August 2007, he signed a five-year professional contract with Pallacanestro Reggiana and started training with the first team.[7]The same year, in October, the 16-year-old debuted in theItalian national second divisionLegaDue.In May 2008, during thepromotion semi-finals againstAurora Basket Jesi, he replaced injured starterBenjamin Ortner and contributed 16 points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort.He finished the season playing an average of 10.6 minutes with 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds.[8][9]
During the off-season, the 17-year-old participated in the Reebok Eurocamp inTreviso but did not make an impression on observers (albeit playing against older players, sometimes by five years).[10]He also returned to the U.S., attending the Adidas Nations that pitted international teams of promising youngsters. Though he was praised by an observer for his work ethic, it was also noted that his game (and lack of athleticism) was unsuited to the American game.[11]
Melli started the next season in great form, with 12 points and 18 rebounds followed by 24 points in two games, however, on 21 December 2008, Melli suffered a serious knee injury. Scans revealed ananterior cruciate ligament injury on his left knee, requiring surgery and at least five months of rehabilitation though he would be able to continue his career.[9][12][13]
He returned to action in 2009–10 as a starter; he averaged 10.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28 minutes,[14] though he missed the promotion playoffs because of a shoulder injury.[15]
On the radar of strong sides for some time, Melli joinedArmani Jeans Milano, of the elite domesticSerie A and EuropeanEuroLeague in July 2010, signing a four-year deal.[16]After struggling to earn minutes, Melli wasloaned to fellow Serie A sideScavolini-Siviglia Pesaro in February 2011.[17]A month later he returned to Milan, to take part in theItalian All Star Game where he contributed 12 points for Italy.[18]Melli finished the2010–11 season with 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 16 minutes per game for Pesaro (compared with 9 minutes for Milan previously).[19]
The next season saw Melli accrue slightly more playing time but despite some highlights, such as a team-high 17 points in aEuroLeague Group G defeat againstUNICS Kazan, he finished the regular season with 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11 minutes per game (Serie A) and 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9 minutes per game (EuroLeague).[19][20]He had more impact in theSerie A playoffs, including decisive performances in the semi-final game 3 against former side Pesaro (5 points in 19 minutes and a good defensive performance, with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block)[21] and then in game 4 of the finals against future championsMontepaschi Siena where he was part of a second-half fightback to win the game, finishing with 11 points and 4 rebounds in 13 minutes.[22]
In 2012–13, Melli increased his averages to 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds (Serie A), 4.6 points and 3 rebounds (EuroLeague), and his minutes to respectively 17 and 15 in a season nearly devoid of highlights both personally and for Milan (eliminated in thedomestic quarterfinals and theEuroLeague regular season).[19][23]An exception was his third successive participation in the December Italian league All-Star Game, in which he top-scored along with Milan teammateAlessandro Gentile (18 points), adding a game-best 10 rebounds.[24]During the summer, he worked out with a number ofNBA sides, with an observer commenting that he seemed too light physically for the league, he would go undrafted in the2013 NBA draft.[25][26][27][28]
2013–14 proved to be Melli's breakthrough season, with his good performances becoming more regular as he cemented his place in Milan's starting five.[29]The first of those decisive contributions came in Milan's second EuroLeague game of the season againstŽalgiris, where Melli scored a career-high 20 points, adding 9 rebounds and 2 steals in 25 minutes to earn aPIR of 28.[30]During the decisive 74–73 victory againstBrose Bamberg in the penultimate group stage game, he defendedWright as he missed the Brose's last shot which allowed Milan to progress to the Top 16.[29]Though he lad less impact further on as Milan reached theEuroLeague quarterfinals, Melli finished with respectable averages of 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 steals in around 21 minutes in the competition.[31]
Domestically, he regularly posted scored in double figures, including a career-high 24 points againstRoma, put against more average games he finished with 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in a career-high 21 minutes.[19]Discarding the statistics, Melli had crucial contributions during theSerie A playoffs, starting with 18 points in 22 minutes in the first game againstPistoia.[29]After starting the finals series against defending championsMontepaschi Siena with some off-games Melli exploded in the final two games.In the do-or-die game 6, with Milan trailing, he scored two successive three-pointers to regain the lead before adding a steal and a number of decisive rebounds as Milan won the game to earn a game 7 decider.[32]In that game, he contributed 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds as Milan won to become Italian champions for the first time in 18 years.[33]
In July 2014, his contract with Milan was extended for another year.[34]The season proved more difficult for both parties, Melli had an unremarkable season (5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in the EuroLeague, 5.6 and 4.3 in Serie A) as Milan were stopped in theItalian playoff semi-finals in their title defense and stalled in theEuroLeague Top 16.[35]
Melli moved abroad in July 2015, signing with German side Brose Bamberg for two years.[35]He cited Brose's strong pursuit of his services and their offering him a more important role in the side as motivation for the move abroad, adding that the presence of compatriotsAndrea Trinchieri andDaniele Baiesi asheadcoach andGM respectively would facilitate his adaptation.[36] Melli was named theMVP of the Month of November of the2015–16 Euroleague.[37]
Melli was named theEuroLeague Round 11 MVP, after scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, in a 70–85 away victory overMaccabi Tel Aviv, on 8 December 2016.[38] He was named to the season'sAll-EuroLeague Second Team.[39]
On 8 July 2017, Melli signed a three-year contract with Turkish clubFenerbahçe.[40] In the2017–18 EuroLeague season, Fenerbahçe made it to the2018 EuroLeague Final Four, its fourth consecutiveFinal Four appearance. Eventually, they lost toReal Madrid, by a score of 80–85 in the finals game. In the finals game, Melli wasthe finals top scorer, as he scored 28 points, which was the most points scored in a EuroLeague Finals game by a player since 1985.[41] He had a season-best performance in theEuroLeague Finals, scoring 28 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.[41] Over 36 EuroLeague games played in total, he averaged 8.9 points, 5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
On 25 July 2019, Melli signed with theNew Orleans Pelicans of theNational Basketball Association (NBA).[42] On 22 October 2019, Melli made his debut in NBA, coming off the bench in a 122–130 overtime loss to theToronto Raptors with fourteen points, five rebounds and two assists.[43] On 12 February 2020, Melli replacedDeandre Ayton for the World Team in theRising Stars Challenge.[44]
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He was traded to theDallas Mavericks on 26 March 2021, alongsideJJ Redick in exchange forJames Johnson andWes Iwundu, in addition to a second-round draft-pick.[45] He made his debut three days later, in a 127–106 win over theOklahoma City Thunder where he recorded six points in twelve minutes.[46]
On 9 July 2021, Melli made his return to Europe by officially signing with his former clubOlimpia Milano[47] On June 20, 2024, Melli parted ways once more with the Italian powerhouse.
On June 25, 2024, he signed withFenerbahçe Beko of the TurkishBasketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) for a second stint.[48]
On May 25, 2025, Melli helped Fenerbahçe to their second EuroLeague championship inAbu Dhabi. He helped the team defeat the defending championsPanathinaikos in the semi-final with 9 points and 6 rebounds,[49] andMonaco in the final with 5 points and 3 rebounds.[50]
Melli played with the Italian Under-16 side at the2007 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, averaging 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game (all three team bests), as he was selected to the tournament's best five.[51][52]With the U-18's at the2008 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, he averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game (the latter a team best).[53]
In the2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, Melli contributed 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1 block per game, in nearly 25 minutes played per game, including 23 points and 11 rebounds in the quarterfinal against Montenegro,[54] to help Italy reach the final. He had an off-game against Spain in the semi-final, grabbing 7 rebounds and scoring 9 points, but shooting 2 for 8 from the floor, and committing four fouls, as Italy had to make do with a silver medal.[55][56]
Melli made his full debut (discounting the All-Star Game) for the seniorItalian team in August 2011, though he was rarely called up until 2013.[57]
After being called up to the Italy squad forEuroBasket 2013, thepower forward had to play in an unfamiliarcenter position, due to the lack of big men in Italy's squad. Alternating at the position withMarco Cusin, he was pitted against bigger and stronger opponents, finishing the tournament with a respectable 4.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, in around 16 minutes played per game – with highs of 14 points and 10 rebounds againstTurkey – as Italy reached the tournament's quarterfinals.[58][59][60]
Melli also played at theEuroBasket 2015.[61]
Melli scored a team high 15 points in a win againstNigeria in the preliminary round of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | New Orleans | 60 | 8 | 17.4 | .421 | .335 | .740 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .4 | .6 | 6.6 |
| 2020–21 | New Orleans | 22 | 0 | 11.0 | .254 | .189 | .857 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .4 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Dallas | 23 | 4 | 14.1 | .378 | .333 | .722 | 2.8 | .8 | .2 | .1 | 4.0 | |
| Career | 105 | 12 | 15.3 | .392 | .316 | .745 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | 5.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dallas | 3 | 0 | 6.3 | .000 | .000 | — | 2.0 | — | .3 | — | 0.0 |
| Career | 3 | 0 | 6.3 | .000 | .000 | — | 2.0 | — | .3 | — | 0.0 | |
| * | Led the league |
| † | Won the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Olimpia Milano | 10 | 0 | 11.0 | .375 | .300 | .667 | 2.4 | .2 | .3 | .4 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
| 2011–12 | 11 | 1 | 9.1 | .563 | .333 | .500 | 1.9 | .2 | .4 | .2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | |
| 2012–13 | 10 | 0 | 15.2 | .364 | .250 | .667 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .2 | .1 | 4.6 | 4.0 | |
| 2013–14 | 27 | 20 | 20.6 | .478 | .333 | .773 | 4.3 | .8 | .9 | .6 | 5.3 | 7.3 | |
| 2014–15 | 24 | 17 | 20.4 | .400 | .333 | .700 | 3.5 | .8 | 1.0 | .6 | 5.3 | 6.1 | |
| 2015–16 | Bamberg | 23 | 23 | 28.5 | .468 | .453 | .815 | 6.5 | 2.7 | .9 | .7 | 9.2 | 14.7 |
| 2016–17 | 30 | 30 | 28.8 | .502 | .434 | .740 | 7.4 | 2.3 | .7 | .7 | 11.5 | 16.7 | |
| 2017–18 | Fenerbahçe | 36* | 16 | 26.0 | .502 | .430 | .805 | 5.0 | 1.7 | .9 | .3 | 8.9 | 12.0 |
| 2018–19 | 36 | 34 | 25.3 | .435 | .385 | .816 | 4.1 | 1.6 | .9 | .6 | 7.3 | 9.3 | |
| 2021–22 | Olimpia Milano | 32 | 32 | 25.0 | .467 | .292 | .792 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .4 | 8.1 | 12.8 |
| 2022–23 | 32 | 31 | 25.6 | .505 | .368 | .660 | 5.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .4 | 8.2 | 11.4 | |
| 2023–24 | 34 | 34 | 24.4 | .475 | .387 | .577 | 4.0 | 2.0 | .9 | .6 | 7.3 | 9.6 | |
| 2024–25† | Fenerbahçe Beko | 38 | 1 | 17.2 | .619 | .373 | .607 | 4.1 | 1.1 | .6 | .0 | 4.9 | 6.8 |
| 2025–26 | 1 | 0 | 24.3 | .000 | .600 | .000 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | .0 | 9.0 | 17.0 | |
| Career | 344 | 239 | 23.1 | .529 | .379 | .736 | 4.8 | 1.5 | .8 | .1 | 7.2 | 10.0 | |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Melli won the domestic league |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 |  Reggiana | LegaDue | 25 | 10.6 | .446 | .273 | .727 | 2.9 | .3 | .6 | .3 | 3.4 |
| 2008–09 | Reggiana | LegaDue | 13 | 24.6 | .419 | .389 | .775 | 5.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .8 | 8.9 |
| 2009–10 | Reggiana | LegaDue | 27 | 28.2 | .460 | .180 | .719 | 7.1 | .9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 10.7 |
| 2010–11 | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 17 | 8.9 | .289 | .231 | .571 | 1.7 | .2 | .9 | .5 | 1.7 |
| 2010–11 | Victoria Libertas | LBA | 12 | 16.0 | .340 | .200 | 1.000 | 3.2 | .6 | 1.1 | .2 | 3.8 |
| 2011–12 | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 37 | 12.6 | .375 | .265 | .786 | 3.2 | .4 | .5 | .2 | 3.8 |
| 2012–13 | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 37 | 17.6 | .434 | .338 | .804 | 4.1 | .8 | .4 | .4 | 5.8 |
| 2013–14† | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 47 | 21.2 | .476 | .372 | .750 | 4.9 | .8 | .7 | .6 | 6.9 |
| 2014–15 | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 39 | 20.1 | .429 | .319 | .737 | 4.3 | .9 | .7 | .6 | 5.6 |
| 2015–16† |  Bamberg | BBL | 42 | 23.1 | .513 | .429 | .755 | 5.0 | 2.6 | .6 | 1.0 | 9.3 |
| 2016–17† | Bamberg | BBL | 41 | 22.9 | .427 | .390 | .860 | 4.9 | 1.9 | .7 | .8 | 8.2 |
| 2017–18† |  Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 36 | 23.1 | .551 | .451 | .719 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .1 | 7.6 |
| 2018–19 | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 36 | 24.9 | .471 | .414 | .836 | 4.8 | 2.4 | .7 | .3 | 9.9 |
| 2021–22† | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 34 | 21.4 | .516 | .250 | .692 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 1.1 | .3 | 9.3 |
| 2022–23† | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 42 | 23.2 | .582 | .400 | .714 | 6.6 | 1.4 | .9 | .5 | 8.9 |
| 2023–24† | Olimpia Milano | LBA | 39 | 23.5 | .520 | .359 | .455 | 6.0 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | 9.0 |
| 2024–25 † | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 35 | 19.6 | .5522 | .319 | .627 | 5.5 | 1.3 | .9 | .4 | 6.0 |
Melli is the son of the formervolleyball playerJulie Vollertsen—a silver medalist with theUnited States at the1984 Olympic Games—and corporate lawyer (formerly amateur basketball player for Pallacanestro Reggiana and television journalist) Leopoldo Melli.They met when Vollertsen moved from the U.S. toReggio Emilia to play professionally. Enrico, Melli's younger brother who was born in 1995, has also played basketball for Reggiana.[63]
Melli has dual citizenship in Italy and the United States.[6] He didn't visit the United States until he was 16, and he has said he doesn't feel very American. He describes his English as good but not fluent.[5][64]
· Basketball Reference 
