Why adding Melton is a good bounce-back for the Warriors after Klay originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With Klay Thompson moving on to another team, the Warriors knew they would have to replace much of what he provided. Or, more accurately, what made him the practically perfect sidekick to Stephen Curry.
Golden State made it a priority to acquire a defenseman who could fill Thompson’s role before he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one leg and a torn Achilles tendon in the other.
Thompson’s defense in his prime gave Curry the freedom that resulted in back-to-back MVP awards. The Warriors want, need, that back.
Meet free-agent guard De’Anthony Melton. He’s not flashy and he won’t be the shooter Klay is, but his defense is elite. That makes it worth paying him the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception the two sides agreed to on Monday.
Melton, 26, is one of those rare young players who is effective yet has largely flown under the radar, partly because he has played for three different teams.
The Warriors, like the rest of the NBA and those who follow him on a daily basis, realize he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Melton, like former Golden State star Andre Iguodala, is one of those guys who rarely produces a dazzling stat line but often makes game-winning plays. He’s shooting 36.9 percent from deep in his six-year career. What’s more, he’s a terrific defender — on or off the ball — who will make steals, grab rebounds and rack up more “hockey” assists than official dimes.
At 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Melton is nearly identical in physical size to Gary Payton II, whom the Warriors like a lot but who has struggled with injuries the past two seasons.
Melton also struggled with injuries, the last of which limited him to 38 games (33 of which he played as a starter) for the Philadelphia 76ers last season due to back problems.
Before he was removed from the starting lineup last season, Melton was part of a Philadelphia starting lineup — along with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Nic Batum and Tyrese Maxey — that had the best net rating (plus 34.0) in the NBA.
The 76ers were 21-9 with Melton in the lineup before his back sidelined him. They are 26-26 over their last 52 games, most of which were missed by Embiid and Melton.
Melton thrived as the sixth man on the 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies team that finished No. 2 in the Western Conference. He averaged 10.8 points per game (40.4 from the field, but 37.4 from deep), with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals.
The key with Melton is his health. Had he stayed healthy last season, he could have commanded a salary of over $20 million per year.
While the Warriors are no longer in the luxury tax and are still in the process of building their roster, Melton appears to be a player who could find himself in the starting lineup.
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