SAN FRANCISCO — In the last week, De’Anthony Melton went searching for extra medical advice about his partially torn ACL. Rest and rehab would’ve been attached to the risk of a full tear. Instability could lead to further damage. That led him to the agonizing conclusion that season-ending surgery was the best route for a young career with plenty of future upside. He’s still 26.
But the loss of Melton generates a painful and powerful ripple effect for the Golden State Warriors, who sought him out early in free agency — their front office arrived at his agent’s office within 20 minutes of the opening bell — and used their entire $12.8 million mid-level exception to pair him next to Steph Curry in what they felt was a perfect starting backcourt.
Who starts now?
Steve Kerr said he’s “committed” to Lindy Waters III as Melton’s temporary replacement. Waters started the past three games against the Grizzlies, Clippers and Hawks. This isn’t just a ceremonial start to keep the bench rotation intact. Waters played 28 minutes against the Clippers and 23 against the Hawks, more than Buddy Hield, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga (season-low 15 minutes against Atlanta).
Kerr has glowed about Waters’ ability to flow without the ball, cut to open space, space the floor confidently and know where to be on both sides of the floor. He said Waters was one of their better players in training camp in the preseason and had been hinting for a while he wanted to find a greater role for him, regardless of a stuffed rotation. He now has.
“He’s a good fit in that (starting) group,” Kerr said. “I like bringing Buddy off the bench.”
Waters is 13-of-31 from 3 this season and received the Trae Young defensive assignment on Wednesday night, allowing Andrew Wiggins some reprieve, which Draymond Green felt helped Wiggins into a 27-point, 12-of-17 shooting night.
“You come from an organization like (Oklahoma City) and you can immediately see it in training camp,” Green said of Waters. “Always knows where to be. Knows defensive rotations and assignments. Knows how to get to space. He’s playing confident. We’re going to need him to play confident. We have the utmost belief in him.”
Where does Brandin Podziemski fit?
When Kerr finally decided to bench Klay Thompson last season, he replaced him with a rising rookie: Brandin Podziemski, who led the team in plus/minus en route to an All-Rookie First Team nod.
Podziemski spent the summer drawing headlines that generated pressure about a second-season leap. Most famously, Podziemski was protected in trade talks with the Clippers and Jazz for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen and controlling owner Joe Lacob told a summer league broadcast he felt Podziemski was a “future all-star.”
With the bigger picture in mind, it probably makes the most sense for the Warriors to hand this open shooting guard spot back to Podziemski, in an attempt to jump-start his sophomore season and grow him into the player the franchise decision-makers believe he will be.
But it’s a difficult time to make that choice because Podziemski is in a shooting and scoring funk that is being compounded by the pressure he’s putting on himself and the bruises he’s piling up along the way. Podziemski missed time recently because of a mysterious dizziness and left Wednesday’s game against the Hawks after being hit in the nose, which he broke in preseason. The X-rays were negative. He’s day to day.
The bigger concern is Podziemski’s shooting slump (37 percent overall, 21 percent on 3s), which Kerr said has him pressing and led to some “indecisive” nights for an energy guard who broke onto the scene as a rookie because of a decisive, confident approach.
After Wednesday’s game against the Hawks, Green gave a long and revealing answer about Podziemski’s struggles, blaming “y’all” for what Podziemski is going through, referring to the expectation heaped upon him by the media, the fans and even his bosses.
“I’m saying this because I hope he hears it,” Green said.
Here is the full sound bite of Green on Podziemski.
Draymond Green went long on Brandin Podziemski’s shooting struggles and the pressure he’s putting on himself
“What he’s trying to work through is y’all’s fault.”
“I’m saying this because I hope he hears it.”
Full soundbite pic.twitter.com/03dGCG0fTF
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 21, 2024
What happens with Melton?
The Warriors plan to apply for a $6.4 million disabled player exception for Melton’s injury, team sources said, but it’ll be nearly impossible to find a path to use it. They are less than $1 million below and locked at the first apron, so finding an avenue to generate enough space to use it doesn’t sound feasible considering the constraints.
But that doesn’t mean Melton’s contract isn’t a valuable chip come transaction season. Expiring contracts, especially when attached to assets, are appealing to rebuilding teams or any franchise in the new apron world that is trying to generate future financial flexibility and can grab an asset in the meantime.
Melton’s contract, attached to a draft pick, might be able to fetch a capable rotation player in January or February from a team like the Raptors or Nets. The Warriors also have a ton of other mid-sized contracts (Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Kuminga) to add Melton as a building block to make any big or medium-sized deal happen.
But that’s another conversation for another day. There’s also a benefit to keeping Melton around. He is well-liked in the locker room and could be a candidate to return to the Warriors as a free agent (when he turns 27) who will again be available at a bargain price considering his recent injury history.
“I know the imprint he’s already left on this organization,” Green said. “He’ll have an opportunity to come back. Hopefully, he decides that’s the right thing for him.”
(Photo of De’Anthony Melton in action against Cleveland in early November: David Richard / Imagn Images)