Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton is now an unrestricted free agent after declining his $3,451,779 player option for 2026/27, a source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).
The move was expected, as multiple reports indicated that the 28-year-old was likely to test free agency. His option was for the veteran’s minimum and he would project to make a little more than that next season even if he only signs another minimum-salary deal.
Melton got off to a slow start for the Warriors in 2025/26, which is understandable, given that he had just spent a year recovering from ACL surgery. But by the time the calendar turned to 2026, Melton was looking a little more like his old self.
The former second-round pick played a larger offensive role than anticipated in ’25/26 due to injuries. Melton averaged a career-high 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 23.0 minutes per game across 49 appearances, including 24 starts.
While Melton shot a career-best 50.5% on two-pointers last season and a solid 82.6% on free throws, he struggled from beyond the arc, converting just 29.4% of his three-point tries. He had made 38.3% of his threes in the five seasons leading up to ’25/26.
A report from ClutchPoints said Melton was expected to join a new team this summer. He was recently linked to the Suns by plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro.
