Warriors’ $13 Million Signing Dubbed Among Most Underrated of Free Agency

“Melton, 26, is one of the better backcourt defenders in the NBA if his back issues are over,” Swartz wrote. “His 1.6 steals per game would have tied Kawhi Leonard for fifth-most in the league had Melton played enough games to qualify. With Stephen Curry set to turn 37 next season, the Warriors help ease his defensive burden with the presence of Melton as well. … His combination of defense, outside shooting and passing has made a big impact on winning, as the Philadelphia 76ers were 10.3 points per 100 possessions better with Melton on the floor last season.”

---

De’Anthony Melton May Prove Upgrade Over Klay Thompson for Warriors

The loss of Thompson was a catastrophic emotional blow to the Bay Area after 13 years with the franchise, six NBA Finals appearances, five All-Star selections and four titles. But in terms of on-court fit and production, one can make the argument that the much younger Melton is actually an upgrade over his future Hall-of-Fame predecessor.

“There’s a bit of a narrative that the Warriors have made some tragic mistake in terms of being a championship-contending team by not re-signing Klay Thompson,” Tim Bontemps of ESPN said on the July 2 edition of the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. “If De’Anthony Melton’s back is okay, which is a big if because he missed basically the entire 2024 calendar year because of ongoing back issues, he’s a better fit for the Warriors this year than Klay Thompson.”

He went on to contend that Melton might end up as a back-court starter for the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry next season over rookie Brandin Podziemski, who usurped Thompson’s starting role for a substantial stretch during the 2023-24 campaign.

“I could see [Melton] starting at the [shooting guard spot], because he is a dynamite defender and he is a borderline 40% 3-point shooter,” Bontemps continued. “De’Anthony Melton is really good, and if he had not had these back issues last year, he wouldn’t be signing a one-year, full MLE deal, which is clearly a bet on himself to a have a big year and get paid next year.”

---

De’Anthony Melton Offers Warriors Big Value on MLE

The Houston Rockets selected Melton with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, ultimately trading him to the Phoenix Suns in August of that year. Melton played his rookie season in the desert before the Suns dealt him to the Memphis Grizzlies in July 2019.

Melton remained in Memphis for the next two years, where developed as a pro and eventually signed a four-year deal worth 34.6 million in November 2020. The Grizzlies traded Melton to the Sixers in June 2022, where his minutes jumped to a career-high of 27.9 per game.

Melton averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals across 115 appearances in Philly, which included 91 starts, per Basketball Reference. He also shot 37.9% from behind the 3-point line on 5.4 attempts per game over his two seasons with the 76ers.

However, Melton missed more than half of last season due to his aforementioned back issues, appearing in just 38 games and logging 33 starts. As such, he agreed to the MLE to join Golden State in early July, which will pay him just shy of $13 million on a one-year agreement.