SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors have agreed to bring back one of their top guards from last season.
Read more A food lover’s guide to Asia Live at Valley Fair
De’Anthony Melton agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract, with the second year being a player option. Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news first.
This news came two days after Melton declined his pervious $3.45 million player option to test free agency. During his exit interview, Melton, 28, told reporters that he was interested in returning, but wanted to see what kind of offers he could get from other teams.
The Warriors remain in pursuit of LeBron James, and have now signed Melton and Kristaps Porzingis to team-friendly contracts after Draymond Green opted out of his player option and gave the team financial flexibility.
His new contract keeps him in the Bay Area for at least a third consecutive season.
Following over a year of rehab from a torn ACL suffered early in Golden State’s 2024-25 season, Melton had signed with the Warriors for the veteran minimum shortly after training camp, and then had an up-and-down season after making his debut in early December.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 12.3 points and 2.6 assists per game in 49 appearances.
Read more Cal Water says cybersecurity breach by Iranian-linked hackers was limited
At his best, Melton was the creative ballhandler and downhill driver that the Warriors’ offense lacked outside of Curry, especially once Jimmy Butler went down for the season with a knee injury in January. He also defended well in stretches.
But Melton also struggled with his long-range shot all season. After being a career 37% 3-point shooter in his first seven years in the league, Melton shot only 29.4% from behind the line on a substantial 5.0 attempts per game.
He also appeared to visibly wear down over the course of the regular season, battling injuries despite not playing in the majority of back-to-backs because of a cautious approach by the Warriors’ medical staff.
Melton shot 34% from the field in his last 12 regular-season games while being asked to carry a substantial offensive load as injuries piled up for the Warriors.
Melton expressed interest in coming back to the Warriors during his exit interview.
Read more Palisades fire arson prosecutors say they’ll retry the case, but should they?
The 28-year-old guard previously played for the Suns, Grizzlies, and Sixers.
About the Author
