The Golden State Warriors have their work cut out for them on the free agent market this offseason.
With Draymond Green projected to pick up his player option, they'll have just over $27 million between them and the first apron. With the sheer number of holes they have on their roster, that's not a ton to work with.
The first items on their agenda will likely be an extension for Kristaps Porzingis, who reportedly has momentum toward a deal with the Warriors, and making their 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With both of those items completed, Golden State will have taken major strides towards filling out their roster for 2026.
There are other decisions to be made, though, not the least of which centers around De'Anthony Melton. Melton has a player option this offseason for $3.45 million, which he is likely to reject. But as Melton goes to test the market, he must accept an uncomfortable truth.
Although he can likely make more money elsewhere, he likely won't be valued as much more than a role player on the open market. Returning to the Warriors could be his best bet at earning a major role in 2026-27.
De'Anthony Melton's poor end-of-season performance could continue to limit his market this offseason
In Zach Kram's recent piece for ESPN, he highlighted a group of underrated free agents that should be on many teams' radars heading into the offseason. Melton was one of them.
"Never a terribly efficient scorer, Melton's efficiency dropped even more this season as his usage rate reached a career-high 25%. He was forced to assume a heavier offensive burden because he played 64% of his minutes without Stephen Curry or Jimmy Butler III. But whichever team signs him this summer will be looking for him to slot in as a role player rather than as an underqualified go-to option. And Melton is a strong option in that capacity, capable of manning either guard position and defending on the perimeter."- Zach Kram, ESPN
While Kram signs Melton's praises as a secondary ball-handler and a defender, he highlights one central truth about Melton at this point in his career. He's not an efficient scorer, and as such, he's not likely to land a major role this offseason.
Granted, Melton missed the start of last season rehabbing his ACL tear and never looked fully comfortable even when he came back. But even when his minutes saw a sharp increase in the absences of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, not much improved offensively. Across his final 26 games, Melton averaged a solid 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. But he shot just 39.1% from the field and 28.9% from 3-point range in that span. He started 24 of those games for Golden State.
If Melton ultimately re-signs with the Warriors, they won't be bringing him back for a starting role either. Curry and Brandin Podziemski, who is eligible for an extension this offseason, will likely form Golden State's starting backcourt. Perhaps there's room for Melton to slot in on the wing until Moses Moody returns, but it's almost certain that his role will be reduced from what we saw late last season.
Can Melton earn more than $3.5 million on the open market? Almost certainly.
But if he signs with a true contender at this point in his career, he could quickly come to be the ninth or 10th man on a deep roster. Although the money may not be the same with Golden State, there likely is a path for Melton to carve out major minutes in their depleted backcourt.
It is simply a question of what Melton values at this point in his career. But at the very least, he must come to terms with that truth this offseason.
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