When Klay Thompson moved on to another team, the Warriors knew they had to replace much of what he provided. Or, more accurately, what made Stephen Curry a practically perfect sidekick.
Golden State’s priority was adding an offensive point guard who could fill one of the roles Thompson offered before he sustained a torn ACL in one leg and a torn Achilles tendon in the other.
Thompson’s defense earned Curry back-to-back MVP awards during the season. The Warriors want, need, to get that back.
Enter free agent guard De’Anthony Melton. He’s not flashy and he won’t be a sharpshooter, but his defense is elite. That would justify paying the $12.9 million non-taxpayer that both sides agreed to on Monday.
Melton, 26, is that rare young player who has been successful but largely under the radar, in part because he has played for three different teams.
The Warriors, like the rest of the NBA and those who live and breathe it, understand the value of being one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.
Melton, like former Golden State star Andre Iguodala, is one of those guys who rarely puts up an impressive stat line but often makes game-winning plays. He is hitting 36.9 percent of his six-year career. What’s more, he’s an excellent defender — on and off the ball — who steals, rebounds, and piles up more “hockey” assists than the official dime.
At 6-foot-2, with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Melton has the physical size of Gary Payton II, whom the Warriors love but has battled with injuries in each of the past two seasons.
Melton has also dealt with injuries, most recently limiting him to 38 games (33 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
Before coming off the bench last season, Melton was part of a Philadelphia starting lineup — along with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Nick Batum and Tyrese Maxey — that posted the best net rating (plus 34.0) in the NBA.
The 76ers were 21-9 against Melton before the back was sidelined. They were 26-26 in their last 52 games, most of which were missed by Embiid and Melton.
Melton became the sixth man on a 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies team to finish as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 10.8 points (40.4 from the field but 37.4 from deep), 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
The key with Melton is his health. Had he stayed healthy last season, he could have commanded an annual salary of over $20 million.
Although the Warriors are off the luxury tax and are still assembling their roster, Melton projects as a possible figure in the starting lineup.
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