Warriors agree to sign veteran guard after Klay Thompson departure

Oct 30, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; T-shirts depicting a map of the bay area and the new bay bridge Golden State Warriors logo at Oracle Arena before the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors are acting quickly after losing Klay Thompson in free agency.

The Warriors agreed to a one-year deal with veteran guard De’Anthony Melton, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Melton is signing for the $12.8 million mid-level exception.

Free agent De'Anthony Melton plans to sign a one-year, $12.8 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/LfBenYVJ7T

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2024

Melton is not exactly a direct replacement for Thompson, and might actually fill Chris Paul’s role more than anything else. The veteran guard is seen as a solid defender and a good all-around player, though not necessarily a scorer or perimeter shooter. He played in 38 games last season with the Philadelphia 76ers in an injury-hit campaign and averaged 11.1 points in 26.9 minutes per game.

The agreement comes not long after Thompson officially picked his new team, though the Warriors will still have to work out a sign-and-trade agreement. Adding Melton is a nice move, but it probably is not the last thing Golden State will look at.