The Warriors made their choice this offseason: they went back to De’Anthony Melton instead of pushing harder for Anfernee Simons. That call already looks a little shakier now that Simons has landed ahead of Melton in a recent positional ranking, while Melton didn’t even receive an honorable mention.
Golden State had interest in Simons as an unrestricted free agent, but opted to use the taxpayer mid-level exception on Melton. The team also passed on Simons while keeping flexibility in its chase for LeBron James, only for James to end up with Simons on a new-look Philadelphia 76ers roster that has moved into championship contention.
That sequence has only sharpened the scrutiny around the Warriors’ offseason approach. Some have already questioned why they leaned toward bringing Melton back instead of pursuing a more offense-driven guard in Simons, and HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina added another layer to that debate by ranking Simons 27th among shooting guards. Melton was left off the list entirely.
“Now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Simons’ job will be more in line with what he was asked to do in Boston, which was come off the bench and make an impact with his shooting and overall scoring,” Urbina wrote.
For Golden State, the timing matters. The Warriors finished 19th in offense last season and will be without Jimmy Butler for half the year, so passing on a scoring guard like Simons is the kind of move that could draw attention fast if the offense sputters again. And if Simons ends up clearly outperforming both Melton and Brandin Podziemski, that would be a bad sign for the Warriors’ season outlook.
Podziemski received an honorable mention from Urbina, and there’s still a real question about whether he or Melton will start on opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers. Melton’s fit next to Stephen Curry was a major part of Golden State’s reasoning, and that could give him the edge over the fourth-year guard.
Still, the Warriors need production from both. Melton and Podziemski each enter the season with something to prove, and both will have added motivation as they chase bigger contracts from their current deals.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Got More Reason To Wait On Brandin Podziemski
The Warriors already had a tough call looming on Brandin Podziemski, and a recent external evaluation only adds to the pause. After a strong second half last season, when he averaged 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists after the All-Star break, Podziemski looked like a player worth discussing as a long-term core piece, especially after making the All-Rookie First Team in 2024.
Even so, Golden State may now feel even less urgency to rush into an extension before next season. The team has to weigh Podziemskis encouraging stretch against the risk of committing early, and a recent ranking of the leagues top shooting guards did little to push that decision forward, leaving him on the outside of the main list while the Warriors continue to balance upside with salary-cap flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Frontcourt Already Facing A Problem They Can't Afford
Al Horford is heading into his 20th NBA season with the Warriors expected to be careful with his minutes, but the early roster math already looks tricky. Golden State brought him in for frontcourt stability, yet the team may still need him in the starting lineup when Kristaps Porzingis is unavailable, which pushes Steve Kerr into some uncomfortable lineup choices. Draymond Green can cover a lot of ground, and Charles Bassey brings a different profile, but neither gives the Warriors quite the same blend of size, spacing and experience Horford does.
The depth problem only gets sharper when the Warriors look beyond the top of the rotation. Quinten Post is gone after signing with the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving Golden State with less flexibility than it would like in a frontcourt that already has to be managed carefully. For a team with playoff hopes, the real issue is not just whether Horford can help, but whether the Warriors can keep enough of their big men available to avoid patching together lineups when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face One Huge Steph Curry Concern Entering The Season
Stephen Curry enters the season with a familiar burden on his right knee, a condition that Warriors insider Monte Poole said will need ongoing management. Golden State is counting on Curry to be out there for most of the year, with expectations that he can top 70 games, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: the Warriors did not make major roster upgrades over the summer, so their margin for error still runs through their best player.
Monte Pooles reporting also serves as a reminder of how fragile that equation can be. Curry has already had to navigate a long rehab process and the sort of workload concerns that can shadow an older star, and the Warriors are left balancing urgency with caution as they try to keep him available for the stretch that matters most. If the knee holds up, Golden State has a path. If it does not, the rest of the roster suddenly has to solve a problem the front office did little to address. [Read more 🡒]