As the Golden State Warriors have looked to bolster their roster this offseason, the uncertainty surrounding the Jonathan Kuminga situation has put the organization's pursuit of their primarily rumored free agent targets, Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton, on hold.
Yet, as reported by Jake Fischer on The Stein Line, the Milwaukee Bucks are also in the market for a perimeter defender. While Fischer does not mention Melton by name, it is quite possible that the Bucks, in their hunt for defensive assistance, could poach Melton from the stagnant Warriors.
Therefore, while Golden State may plausibly have handshake deals in place with Melton and Horford, they could be doing damage to themselves the longer they wait to make these deals official.
The Milwaukee Bucks could be on the market for a defensive guard
As reported by Fischer, and reiterated by Marc Stein in his latest edition of The Stein Line newsletter, Milwaukee was involved in trade discussions involving veteran guard Marcus Smart around the time of the NBA Draft.
Smart, who was ultimately bought out by the Washington Wizards and chose to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, was evidently a hot commodity on a limited market for dependable guards. According to Stein, in addition to the Bucks the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks also had interest in Smart.
Now, with a bevy of free agents having already found their new homes, Golden State has made clear, to an extent, their intention to bring Melton back after his unfortunate, season-ending injury that terminated his last stint with the team.
However, despite his injury history, Melton is one of the more attractive free agent guards left. In his lat full season, Melton averaged 10.1 points 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 39% from 3-point range.
What is most attractive about Melton, however, is his staunch perimeter defense. Through seven seasons in the NBA, Melton has never posted a negative defensive box plus-minus, solidifying him as a reliable defender even through his injury history.
Were the Warriors to add Melton, he would bring a bit of what the team lost in letting Gary Payton II walk in free agency while also providing an additional reliable ball-handler in the backcourt to balance out some of the roster's inconsistencies.
However, this is the exact skill-set that would make him valuable to multiple other teams, including Milwaukee, and this sign of continued interest on the market should entice Golden State to act quickly to secure their free agent targets this offseason.