The Golden State Warriors did a quiet but smart thing Wednesday. They brought back De’Anthony Melton on a two-year, $11 million deal. The guard gets a little stability. The Warriors get a guy who already fits their system. But the real reason this matters has nothing to do with Melton’s shooting splits or his secondary playmaking. It’s about LeBron James.
Reports have been swirling that James is planning to leave the Lakers this summer. And the Warriors? They’re one of the teams with a realistic path to sign him. That sounds like fantasy basketball stuff until you look at the cap math. NBA insider Yossi Gozlan broke it down on X: Melton’s contract will likely come out of the bi-annual exception. He can also decline his player option next year and re-sign using Early Bird rights. The key part? They still preserve their mid-level exception for a potential LeBron James signing.
That’s the part worth paying attention to. The Warriors didn’t have to sacrifice their biggest remaining cap tool to keep Melton. If re-signing Melton meant closing the door on James, Mike Dunleavy and the front office probably don’t pull the trigger. But the way this is structured, they get both. A solid rotational guard and the flexibility to chase a top-five player ever. Not bad for a Tuesday in July.
Melton had a decent year with Golden State. Nothing flashy, but steady. He gave them secondary ball-handling and spacing off the bench. And when Stephen Curry missed big chunks of the second half, Melton stepped into a bigger role and actually produced. His numbers climbed. His confidence grew. That kind of reliability matters on a team that suddenly feels like it’s in transition mode.
Now you wait. The whole NBA is basically waiting to see if LeBron is serious about this. Pairing up with Curry and Draymond after years of Finals battles? That would flip the entire Western Conference on its head. It’s the kind of move that changes legacies. And thanks to a contract structured the right way, the Warriors can still make that call.
The Melton deal was a good piece of business. But it’s the potential phone call to James that has everyone watching.
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