The Golden State Warriors are heading into free agency with one less familiar guard in the mix. De'Anthony Melton has declined his $3.5 million player option for next season, effectively ending his run with the team for now and sending him into unrestricted free agency.
It was a quiet development on a busy day around the league, but it carries real meaning for Golden State. Melton, 28, would have been a useful piece if he had stayed put on the option, yet the Warriors appear unlikely to meet the kind of deal he’s now chasing. Their reported interest in LeBron James, along with alternate guard targets like Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton, points to a different direction.
Monday’s bigger Warriors headline came from Draymond Green, who opted out of his $27.6 million player option, adding fuel to the idea that Golden State has a real chance at James. The team also re-signed Kristaps Porzingis to a two-year, $40 million contract extension. In the middle of those moves, Keith Smith of Spotrac reported the Melton decision.
De'Anthony Melton declined his player option with the Golden State Warriors, a league source told @spotrac.
Melton will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
- Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 30, 2026
Melton’s season with the Warriors was a comeback of sorts. He had signed a two-year, $6.5 million deal to return last offseason after being traded to the Brooklyn Nets midway through his first year with the franchise, a stint that was interrupted by a torn ACL. He came back to the team in December and played in 49 games, starting 24 of them.
The numbers reflected both his value and the limits of his role. Melton posted a career-high 12.3 points per game, but he shot 40.7% from the field and 29.4% from 3-point range. Even as his offensive responsibilities grew late in the season, he never quite settled in enough to make the option a lock.
There’s still a path for Golden State to bring him back if the James pursuit falls short and the team decides to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which could be opened up despite Porzingis’ new deal. But the Warriors are also looking at Simons and Sexton, a sign they may want a more explosive scorer and creator than Melton, especially after injuries to Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry forced him into a bigger offensive load.
That leaves Melton in a strong position on the open market. Several playoff-caliber teams are expected to show interest in him as either a starter at the two or a key reserve, and his next contract will now reveal just how much teams value the upside he still carries as he heads toward his first full season after the ACL injury.
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