Melvin Anderson Ely (born May 2, 1978 in Harvey, Illinois) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA.
A 6'10", 255 lbs, forward-center from Fresno State, Ely was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (12th overall pick) of the 2002 NBA Draft. At Fresno State, he enjoyed a prolific career under the coaching of Jerry Tarkanian. After two seasons in Los Angeles with limited playing time, Ely was traded by the Clippers along with teammate Eddie House on July 14, 2004 to the Bobcats for two second-round draft picks in 2005 and 2006. During the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, Ely rejuvenated his career as a prominent reserve role player. On October 2, 2006, Ely rejected offers from the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns to sign a one-year, $3 million contract to remain with the Bobcats. On February 13, 2007, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for forward Eric Williams and a second-round draft pick in 2009.
In the 2007 offseason, Ely signed with the New Orleans Hornets. It was formally announced on September 12 that it was a two-year contract.
