The Golden State Warriors have made a trade, sending the injured De'Anthony Melton and a future second-round pick to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets for guard Dennis Schroder.
Schroder is in his 12th NBA season and is averaging a solid 18.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 38.7 percent from the 3-point arc, solidifying himself as one of the best trade candidates this year. The Nets, in an effort to rebuild and tank, are expected to trade away pretty much everyone, and Schroder is just the first domino to fall.
Early in the season, the Nets were listed as a likely landing spot for Johnathan Kuminga, but it looks like the Warriors are going to hold onto their young forward. With Kuminga still on the roster and a deal with the Nets done, was it the right choice? Inside the Warriors has a grade for the trade.
For starters, Melton is out for the season with an ACL injury and will be a free agent in 2025, so his getting sent out in the deal has no impact on the Warriors' bid this season. Schroder, on the other hand, will also be a free agent this summer, so he could be a one-year rental, depending on how he does in Golden State.
Schroder is a pesky defender, getting under Draymond Green's skin enough to be ejected in 2023, although that seems to be water under the bridge.
Schroder, like most veterans, has improved his 3-point percentage as the league becomes more focused on that shot. He is a solid floor general who has spent time with winning teams, but he has never won the NBA Finals. His crowning achievement was being named the FIBA World Cup's MVP in 2023 when he led Germany to gold.
While swapping Melton and an inconsequential future pick for a high-end depth piece sounds like an excellent move by the Warriors' front office, Melton's expiring contract was one of the Dubs' best trade assets when it comes to matching salary, so a deal for a star like Nikola Vucevic, LeBron James, or Jimmy Butler seems unlikely.
The Warriors still have the expiring contracts of Gray Payton II, Kevon Looney, Lindy Waters III, and Kuminga, although that only adds up to $28.6 million, making a bigger deal harder, but not impossible. For that, we give the trade a solid B, although reserve the right to reconsider depending on how Schroder fits into the rotation.
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