While De'Anthony Melton has faced his shooting struggles upon return from injury, his impact on the Golden State Warriors has already proven undeniable through his first 11 games.
Melton is still looking to solidify his footing after a long injury absence, but he's already playing the Warriors into a huge free agency decision when it comes to his future beyond this season.
Warriors could have a tough De'Anthony Melton decision on their hands
Melton eventually signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract to the return to the Warriors in free agency, having been traded in December 2024 after his season-ending knee injury. The second year comes with a team option, and there's little doubt Melton signed in the hope that this return, form and production would warrant opting out and earning a bigger deal.
It may still be early days, but his form and impact thus far does look like a player who is far more valuable than the $3.5 million option for next season. Golden State have won their last six games with Melton in the lineup, while losing two during that period where he was resting on either side of a back-to-back.
The Warriors have been +63 in Melton's minutes over the last nine games, including having led the team in plus-minus in road victories over the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets last week.
Melton's ability to conjure steals and deflections on defense has been notable, so too just the way he's looked physically upon return which is credit to the work he and the coaching staff put in throughout a methodical rehabilitation process.
Perhaps most pleasingly for Golden State, Melton's offense and particularly his 3-point shooting is seemingly coming around after a slow start. After making just five of his first 31 shots from beyond the arc, the 27-year-old has made four of his past 10 and has shot 48% from the floor overall across his last three games.
As a result, Melton's minutes are trending up after averaging 23.8 minutes in his last four games. That's his minutes limit right now, but you can easily foresee it moving closer to 30 once he's physically prepared for such a role.
It's all the makings of a player worth at least $10 million per season, meaning the Warriors could have a major decision to make if or when Melton opts out. How far will they be willing to go to re-sign a player that looks perfectly suited to their system, particularly if it requires moving on from another player or two?
Combine this with Quinten Post's restricted free agency and the extension eligibility of Brandin Podziemski, and it appears like another big offseason for the Warriors regardless of what happens between now and then.