Having historically been hesitant on making notable in-season trades over recent years, the Golden State Warriors are set to make a seismic move in acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets.
With De'Anthony Melton out for the season and the price tag only sitting at the equivalent of two second-round picks, it's the sort of low-risk move that's a no-brainer for a Warrior team looking to halt their recent form that's seen them lose seven of the last nine games.
Dennis Schroder solves a big issue for the Warriors
Schroder isn't the exact type of player as Melton, but he'll nonetheless solve an issue that Golden State have been trying to address since the 26-year-old suffered a season-ending ACL injury against the Dallas Mavericks last month.
An early season back injury limited Melton to only two games as Stephen Curry's back court partner, yet it quickly appeared like a seamless fit in back-to-back wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Mavericks.
Melton's blend of shooting, defense and secondary ball-handling/playmaking was a perfect complement to Curry, with the Warriors unable to find an adequate replacement despite exhausting multiple options.
Lindy Waters III started seven games following Melton's injury, but he proved unproductive and incapable of taking the opportunity. Brandin Podziemski then got four-straight games as a starter, before Steve Kerr turned to Buddy Hield over the last two games.
Golden State knew they had an issue and have moved to fix it, with ESPN's Shams Charania reporting on Saturday that "the Warriors envision starting lineups with Schroder and Curry in the backcourt." He may not bring the same level of off-ball spot-up shooting that Melton did, but Schroder is still likely to be a far better option than Waters, Podziemski, Hield or anyone else Kerr previously had available.
This is someone who's averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists so far this season -- those numbers would have Schroder ranked second and first on the Warriors. His 6.5 attempts from 3-point range would rank third, while his 38.7% on such attempts would rank fourth.
Perhaps those numbers won't maintain in the Bay with slightly less on-ball opportunity, but this is a productive player who will relieve some of the burden Curry has been facing. Schroder may not be the defender Melton is either, yet he's capable as a point-of-attack disruptor to the point where a back court of he and Curry should survive.
Lineup uncertainty has plagued the Warriors over the course of the last 18 months, and while this isn't a franchise-defining move, it's very likely to bring a layer of stability the franchise needed, not to mention that Schroder should instantly elevate the non-Curry minutes.