Evaluating Warriors' offseason additions so far this season

Coming off a wildly disappointing 2023-24 campaign, the Golden State Warriors had a lot of work to do to try and give Stephen Curry a shot at another NBA championship.

Warriors fans had one of the most painful offseasons of any, given the fact that Klay Thompson departed for the Dallas Mavericks. No matter how much Thompson struggled last season, having to see him wear another uniform was the outcome no Warriors fan truly wanted.

As painful as the Thompson departure was, the Warriors offseason as a whole looks like a resounding success. The team is as deep as any in the NBA - consistently using 11 players in their rotation - and their 12-6 record has them as the current No. 3 seed in a loaded Western Conference. The Warriors have the record they do despite Curry missing some time due to injury and also averaging his lowest point total since 2011-2012 (excluding his five-game stint in 2019-20).

Andrew Wiggins returning to form has certainly helped a lot, but the Warriors 'offseason moves have played a huge role in the team's strong start.

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The Warriors were dealt a damaging blow with De'Anthony Melton's injury

The biggest free agency signing made by the Warriors this offseason saw them bring in De'Anthony Melton on a one-year deal. Melton was coming off arguably his best season with the Philadelphia 76ers and was looking like a key contributor in Golden State before disaster struck. He suffered a season-ending injury, putting an end to what looked like a promising experiment.

He only appeared in six games for Golden State, but Melton had averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in a shade over 20 minutes per night. He was shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range, and was his usual strong defensive self, which is incredibly useful alongside Curry.

Melton's injury isn't impossible to overcome, but he had been inserted into the starting lineup for a reason. He was hitting his stride just before the injury. The Warriors do have the depth to survive without him, but that doesn't mean this isn't a huge loss.

The Warriors got more from Lindy Waters III than they could've expected

Perhaps the most underrated move that the Warriors made over the offseason saw them acquire Lindy Waters in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the No. 52 pick in the NBA Draft. Yes, the Warriors traded a late second-round pick in exchange for a player who is now in their starting lineup.

Waters was Steve Kerr's choice to replace Melton in the starting lineup alongside Curry and in those seven games he's started, he's played pretty well. He isn't asked to do too much given the talent around him, but Waters provides similar shooting and defense that Melton did.

Overall this season, the 27-year-old has averaged over six points per game and is shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. His shooting has been a bit inconsistent, but Waters has three games already in which he's hit three threes, and another six in which he's hit a pair. That, combined with solid perimeter defense and the ability to keep Buddy Hield on the bench has made the Waters transition to the starting lineup a worthwhile one.

The Warriors traded a late second-round pick for a player who had started just one NBA game prior to this season. Waters wasn't even expected to be in the rotation prior to the start of the regular season, yet be as productive as he has been. Given his lack of playing time prior to this season, Waters' ceiling could be higher than expected. He has scored in double figures in three of his last five games, after all.

The Warriors appear to be clear winners of the Klay Thompson trade

Again, the Klay Thompson trade was a tough one for Warriors fans to witness, but it has aged wonderfully. Not only has Thompson been a bit underwhelming in Dallas, but Golden State's return has been exceptional.

Would the Warriors be close to where they are without Buddy Hield? The 31-year-old's stock had fallen rapidly, and he wasn't even seeing the floor consistently in the 2023-24 playoffs. Now, he is averaging 15.6 points per game coming off the bench for Golden State and is shooting 44.1 percent from three-point range. Hield has been a perfect fit in Golden State, and having his shooting paired with Curry makes it feel as if the Splash Brothers are still together.

If the season ended today, Hield would get tons of Sixth Man of the Year consideration and might even win the award outright.

Not only did the Warriors get Thompson, but the team acquired Kyle Anderson - a player who might not be shooting as well as he usually does, but who does just about everything on the court. He's a solid defender, and has averaged 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists despite averaging just over 15 minutes per game.

The Warriors lost Thompson, but won this deal. They gained quality depth, and as we can see from how they've played, the team is better off thanks in large part to this trade.