SAN FRANCISCO – In the weeks before Klay Thompson departed in July 2024, the Warriors were lining up potential replacements. None existed, so they opted for a tag-team approach, bringing in Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton.Hield would deliver 3-point shooting a half-tier below Thompson, while Melton would bring the stellar perimeter defense offered by prime Klay. Results were mixed.
Hield was traded in February. Melton remains, but his two seasons with the Warriors have been spotty due to health issues that have limited his availability – beginning with NBA training camp.
That will change this season. For the first time in three years, Melton is coming off a summer not dedicated to recovery and rehabilitation. The 6-foot-3 guard spent the past two summers mending his back (2024) and strengthening his knee after ACL surgery (2025).
The summer of ’26 provided time for Melton to focus on his overall game, allowing much better odds of giving the Warriors the two-way contributor they visualized two years ago. His surgically repaired left knee feels “well,” he said this week, so there are no...