The Golden State Warriors have yet to add a key free agent this summer, but the franchise’s luck could soon turn.
Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy surely understands the team’s need for added bench depth to support their star trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, but Jonathan Kuminga’s endless restricted free agency bid has rendered the organization unable to complete any moves around the margins.
Despite Kuminga’s immediate future resembling a storm cloud hanging over the franchise, Dunleavy remains interested in adding several key veteran role players to keep the group poised for a possible title run in 2025-26.
In fact, one NBA writer has indicated that the Warriors are likely to sign a former team member and one of the more sought-after free agents on the market, De’Anthony Melton, an acquisition that could be regarded as one of the best of the summer.
“Once Melton’s signature and his return to the Warriors is finalized, it could easily become the steal of entire NBA offseason,” FanSided’s Peter O’Keefe wrote Wednesday morning.
“Fans and analysts around the league won’t necessarily be proclaiming that in the next few months, but Golden State fans know exactly the sort of impact that Melton could provide when play gets underway next season.”
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“Warrior fans can rightfully be frustrated at the lengthy nature of this free agency process, but there’s still time for the roster to get considerably better and Melton may be a key pillar within that.”
After a tumultuous 2024-25 season, one which he began as a crucial member of the Warriors’ rotation, Melton might be poised to return and contribute to a contender in the Western Conference.
Melton sustained a partially torn ACL after just six appearances with Golden State, prematurely ending his season. With the opportunity to return as an unrestricted free agent, the 27-year-old guard could once again cause havoc on the defensive end and consistently knock down open threes alongside Curry, Green and Butler if he chooses to make his way back to the Bay.
Through his six contests with the team this past season, Melton contributed 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals while connecting on 37.1% of his career-high 5.8 three-point attempts. An extremely solid defender despite standing at just 6-foot-2, he posted an impressive 110 defensive rating per 100 possessions.
Melton’s hypothetical return could signal a true change for Golden State on the defensive end.
By prospectively having the chance to join two of the NBA’s best defenders in recent memory in Green and Butler, the Warriors’ defensive schemes could become impossible to navigate for some of the league’s most skilled scoring threats.
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