De'Anthony Melton's recent struggles, exacerbated by injury and increased offensive responsibility, are impacting the Golden State Warriors. His poor performance against the Denver Nuggets, combined with his declining shooting percentages, raise questions about his future with the team and potential free-agent offers.
A big reason the Golden State Warriors got blown out against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday was De'Anthony Melton's poor performance. Melton had zero points on 0-of-5 shooting, three assists and two turnovers.
He was a game-worst minus-29. "He's banged up. His thumb is really bothering him and I think he's pressing a bit. He's dribbling into traffic. ... He's had a great season. Last couple games have been tough, but he's been banged up and we'll help him get right."Since Feb. 28, Melton has made just 37.9 percent of his field goals and just 26.2 percent of his threes.Up until late February, Melton had easily the best net rating on the team. But the combination of injuries and being overexposed offensively have led to this slump. Melton is meant to be more of a secondary ball-handler, but he's often being tasked with primary ball-handling on this Warriors team. Suffice to say, he'd benefit from the return of Stephen Curry, who has missed the last 25 games with runner's knee.When Melton was playing his best, it felt like a foregone conclusion that some team would offer him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $15.1 million this offseason.After all, he's shooting a career-low 28.4 percent from three. He makes up for some of his offensive inefficiency with strong defense and decent playmaking, but still, he could struggle to get big free-agent offers as a 6'2" guard who struggles to make threes. The Warriors might not have the cap space to pay Melton and Porzingis unless Melton agrees to the taxpayer mid-level exception of about $6 million. That feels like an underpay, but if his market doesn't develop the way he wants, perhaps he'll have to settle for that. My guess is he'll get a better offer than that and take it, but it's certainly not the foregone conclusion it once was.Joey was a writer and editor at Bleacher Report for 13 years. He's a Bay Area sports expert and a huge NBA fan.Warriors-Hawks Injury Report Reveals Status of Kuminga, Curry, PorzingisRecapping Every Move on the NBA Trade Deadline: Ivica Zubac to Pacers
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