How Warriors will approach trade deadline after hot start, Melton news originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton set to undergo season-ending ACL surgery, Golden State faces uncertainty as it looks to build on a scorching start to the 2024-25 NBA season.
But Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy believes a next-man-up mentality will keep the 10-3 team going after several key offseason additions — though he didn’t seem to rule out a possible move during the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline . is approaching
“I think about our thing with Steph [Curry] and Draymond [Green] are you always looking to surround them with the right players, and you want to get the best, most talented players to do that,” Dunleavy told Bonta Hill, Festus Ezeli and Chris Mullin on “Warriors Pregame Live” on Wednesday. “You’re going to look at everybody different options. You’ll call up teams, you’ll chase these players, but you won’t always be able to get them through trade, so you have to look at other avenues.
“And I think we feel really good about the team that we put together through free agency and then really from growth within. You talk about the growth of our young players. You talk about some of our middle-aged vets, the [Andrew] Wiggins, the [Kevon] Looneys, the [Gary] Paytons — those guys are back and playing as good as they ever have.
“So that’s how you get to a point of starting 10-3 and feeling good about your team, and we’ll see where it goes from here, but I think the plan is working. And maybe we still have some work to do. “
Even if the Warriors lost on marquee players such as Lauri Markkanen and Paul George this offseason, Dunleavy was able to acquire pieces in free agency that helped Golden State jump out of the gates with a winning record and current first place standing in the Western Conference.
And while Melton was one of those key additions — especially after securing a spot in coach Steve Kerr’s starting rotation — Dunleavy is confident the Warriors’ other offseason acquisitions will continue to produce in his “unfortunate” absence.
“I think [Melton] began to match very well, and [that’s] a big reason we, you know, went after him this summer because of the way we feel he could play offensively and defensively, so it’s a big loss for us,” Dunleavy said. “But like you said, we have a good depth and the next man will step up, and we’ll take it from there.”
Melton secured a spot in coach Steve Kerr’s starting rotation before going down with a sprained left ACL on Nov. 12, which the Warriors announced Wednesday. he will need season-ending surgery. Now, other additions like Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and Lindy Waters, as well as the rest of Golden State, will have to step up.
