Nov 12, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) loses control of the ball next to Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Lakers Could Show Interest in Recent Warriors Guard

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated May 28, 2025 3:00 PM ET

With the NBA Finals nearing, as both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers hold 3-1 leads in their respective series, the offseason is almost here with the NBA Draft and free agency set to change the course of the NBA. Especially with ESPN's Shams Charania reporting that it could be the wildest offseason yet, plenty of moves could fly under the radar.

While the free agency class doesn't carry a ton of weight to it, with most eyes looking at players that could be traded, Brooklyn Nets guard De'Anthony Melton is a player who showed during his small stretch in Golden State that he can be a productive rotational guard. Looking to add more depth, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a team that targets him.

According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Lakers could target Melton to add to their guard rotation around Luka Doncic. "I really like Melton as a flyer. I think, at this point, he's gonna be a vet-minimum guy...," Buha shared. "I think he's a guy who, for a vet minimum contract, you could do a lot worse."

As mentioned, the likely path for Melton would be a one-year, veteran minimum deal so he can prove to teams he can still play coming off a torn ACL. Before being a centerpiece in the Dennis Schroder trade, Melton averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in six contests with the Warriors.

A player with two-way capabilities, Melton would fit well in the Lakers' rotation behind Austin Reaves and Doncic, as he'd be able to take on the tougher defensive assignments when playing alongside them.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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