According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Warriors plan to sign guard De’Anthony Melton with their newfound cap flexibility.
With the reported departures of Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, the Warriors became eligible to use the $12.8 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. They’re expected to use it all on Melton.
Melton, 26, is a defensive-minded point guard who has shot 36.9% from 3 in his career. Back issues limited him to 38 games for the 76ers last year, but he has historically been durable.
The 6-foot-2 Los Angeles native averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game last year.
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Melton made an impact during the 2022 playoffs against the Warriors when he was with the Grizzlies — the team with which he established himself. In that Western Conference semifinals, Melton averaged 7.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
With the Warriors, Melton should fit as a backup point guard with the additional ability to play alongside Steph Curry. Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gary Payton II, and Moses Moody currently make up Golden State’s back court depth chart, with Payton and Moody being relatively position-agnostic.
Because the reported Thompson signing is expected to be a sign-and-trade, the Warriors will be hard-capped at the $178 million first apron. With Melton’s one-year, $12.8 million salary, Golden State has approximately $158 million on the books — which is subject to change if they take a player back in the Thompson transaction.