De'Anthony Melton Is the Cheap Piece This Rotation Can't Afford to Lose
At $5.5 million a year, Melton is quietly doing work on the wing that Golden State has no obvious way to replace while Butler and Moody are out.
Melton played 49 games last season and produced a plus-3.9 net rating that outran the team's own minus-0.5, built on 1.6 steals and a 110.4 defensive rating. The question this fall is whether he can hold that defensive value across more minutes with two other wings sidelined.
What he's actually paid to do
Melton signed for $5.5 million this season, with a $5.8 million player option for 2027-28 — a modest price for what he provides. Last season he averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 23.0 minutes across 49 games, with 1.6 steals a night. His on-court split was a plus-3.9 net rating — 114.3 on offense, 110.4 on defense — well clear of the team's own minus-0.5 mark, and that gap is the number the Warriors are actually paying for.
The shooting still lags the defense
Melton's offense is the soft spot. He shot 40.7 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three on 5.0 attempts a game, below what the Warriors ask of their wings, and his true shooting of 51.8 percent sits under what a 24.4 percent usage rate should produce. He is not used as a low-usage connector; he plays like a secondary creator and does not finish like one yet. That gap between usage and efficiency is the single number in his file that needs to move this season.
Where he's actually worked
The lineups say more than the box score. With Green, Porzingis, Santos and Podziemski, Melton's group ran a net rating of plus-17 over 42 minutes last season. A second five with Green, Spencer and Moody around him posted a plus-6.1 over 51 minutes. Both are small samples, but both point the same way: Melton's value shows up alongside multiple ball-handlers, not as the lead guard in a unit built around him.
Why this season raises the stakes
Butler is out until January 2 and Moody is out into December, which thins the exact wing rotation Melton has shared minutes in. Golden State's payroll, already above the second apron at $223.3 million, leaves no practical way to add defensive depth from outside if health holds this way. That makes Melton's job simple and bigger than it looks: stay on the floor past the 49 games he managed last season, keep defending at his career level, and let the shooting catch up. He carries a rest designation right now, not an injury — a small but real difference for a player this roster needs available.
How many games did De'Anthony Melton play last season?
Melton played 49 games for Golden State last season, averaging 23.0 minutes, 12.3 points and 1.6 steals a night.
What is De'Anthony Melton's contract with the Warriors?
Melton is signed for $5.5 million in 2026-27, with a $5.8 million player option for 2027-28.
