Warriors Had One of the Best Summers in the NBA
Kevin Pelton of ESPN awarded the Golden State Warriors a B+ offseason grade, despite the loss of Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks. Pelton’s optimism centers on the addition of De’Anthony Melton.
“The Warriors appear to have improved both their roster and their cap sheet,” Pelton wrote on Thursday, July 25. “If 3-and-D standout De’Anthony Melton can stay healthy after missing 44 games last season with the [Philadelphia] 76ers, he’ll be one of the summer’s best additions, while Buddy Hield helps replace Thompson’s shooting and Kyle Anderson brings a versatile skill set to the Golden State bench. The three players combined will make more than $30 million less than Thompson’s previous $43 million salary.”
Melton signed a one-year deal with Golden State for $12.8 million on July 8 via the team’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
De’Anthony Melton Has Potential to Start for Warriors
Melton averaged 26.9 minutes per game last season. His playing time and production could increase in Golden State, depending on head coach Steve Kerr’s decisions with the starting lineup.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report projects Melton to serve as the backup point guard to Stephen Curry. However, this scenario leaves Golden State’s starting lineup short on shooting with Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green at the forward and center positions, respectively. Second-year shooting guard Brandin Podziemski would round out the lineup alongside Curry in the backcourt.
Melton, a combo guard, ran the point as a backup for the Memphis Grizzlies during his first three years. He could be more effective in the starting lineup, offering elite defense and a 3-point threat alongside Curry. Melton shot 39% on 5.2 attempts from behind the arc and 36% on 5.6 tries per game in the past two seasons, respectively, according to Basketball Reference. For his career, Melton is a 36.9% shooter from the 3-point line on 4.1 attempts per game. He’s also averaged double-digit points in each of the past three campaigns, posting a career-high 11.1 per contest in 2023-24.
Melton has been well above average as a defender during his professional tenure. He posted defensive ratings of 112.6 last season and 111.0 the year prior. Those numbers were 3.5 points and 4.6 points better than the league-average defender per 100 possessions, according to StatMuse.
Warriors Remain in Trade Talks for Lauri Markkanen of Jazz
Hield’s shooting, Anderson’s playmaking, and Melton’s potential contributions may not be all the Warriors add this offseason.
“As a leading contender to trade for Lauri Markkanen should the [Utah] Jazz choose to move him, the Warriors might not be finished,” Pelton added on Thursday.
There has been little new information on trade discussions between the Warriors and the Jazz since Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on July 15 that the two sides had reached an impasse on a return for the one-time All-Star and versatile 7-foot playmaker. “League sources tell The Athletic [the Warriors] have discussed a proposal around Moses Moody, multiple first-round picks, multiple pick swaps and multiple second-round picks,” Charania wrote. “The Jazz, however, have asked for the bulk of young talent and capital the Warriors possess, including Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski, along with picks, which has been a non-starter thus far for Golden State, league sources said.”
The highest expectations for the Warriors among league insiders with their current roster construction is an outside shot at a home playoff series in Round 1, assuming injury luck and other relatively uncontrollable factors break their way.