Former Top Bench Option Turned Starter Signs with the Warriors

2018 second-round pick De’Anthony Melton will play for the Golden State Warriors next season, for one year for a near 13 million dollars. The news was first broken by Shams. The six-foot-two guard is an underrated two-way player who has constantly had to earn his spot on teams after being a late draft selection. This past season, the 26-year-old averaged 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one and a half steals in 38 games, starting 33 of them. He had injury problems, leading him to miss a lot of the season, including the playoffs, where he only played seven minutes total.

He is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body and has a 6’8” wingspan that allows him to play great defense on bigger players. His two-way abilities earned him eighth place in the Sixth-Man of the Year voting in 2022 with the Grizzlies. The following season, he was traded to the 76ers for Danny Green and David Roddy. He spent the last two years in Philadelphia, starting 91 of 115 games. He likely would have earned a much bigger contract if not for his injury issues last season, as he is a great defender and also a capable shooter as he shot 36 percent from three this past season.

It will be interesting to see what Melton’s role will be with the Warriors next season after signing a one-year contract. Melton thrived off the bench for the Grizzlies but also was solid as a starter for the 76ers, so it will be interesting to see how the Warriors will use him this upcoming season. His stats have improved each season with more minutes, but he will likely have to improve on his career 41% field goal percentage if he wants to remain a consistent starter. Melton has proven throughout his career that he can be a solid rotational piece, but time will tell if he can be a starter on a contending team, something the 76ers seemed to think he could be the past two seasons. Based on the current roster, the Warriors will likely expect him to start.