As the Golden State Warriors appear poised to be active on the late-offseason free agent market, veteran guard De’Anthony Melton seems set to return to the team for a second shot at filling their need at shooting guard.

Yet, over the past two seasons, Melton has struggled to stay healthy, and, if the impact of his season-ending injury on the Warriors last year is any indication, his ultimate test upon his return will be to remain healthy and in the rotation.

While it remains unclear whether Melton will be a starter or a member of the bench unit for Golden State were he to sign, his point-of-attack defensive skill-set will be vital to the team’s chances at fielding a deep and complete rotation, and his health will be paramount to the success of the team.

De’Anthony Melton needs to remain healthy if he returns to the Warriors

Last season, Melton came into Golden State with the intention of him competing with young guard Brandin Podziemski for the starting shooting guard role. When Podziemski did not show the progression in camp that the organization had wished, Melton ultimately took over the spot to start the season.

However, his season-ending ACL tear after just six appearances with the team represented his second straight season-ending injury, and Melton was ultimately moved to the Brooklyn Nets as a salary necessity in the Dennis Schroder trade.

Now, as he attempts to rehabilitate his career, the Warriors appear yet again to be his ideal destination, giving him a viable scheme in which to exercise his defensive prowess and a chance to prove his worth to a contending team.

Despite Golden State’s stagnancy this offseason, however, signing Melton is not necessarily an easy decision to make. As training camp approaches, there are still a number of guards available on the market for veteran minimums, and the Warriors have been consistently tied to a number of them.

If Melton is chosen from among this crop, the team cannot afford for him to miss significant time yet again. With the presumed signing of Horford, Golden State will have four starters over the age of 35.

As a result of this fact, it is already a highly likely scenario that one or more of these veterans misses time. Given the obvious importance of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler to the team’s offense, the Warriors would need whatever guards they sign to be available and able to step up in any sort of nightmare scenario.

Melton, admittedly, presents a serious injury risk along with his adaptable skill-set. If he were to return, the organization would be taking a massive bet on him staying healthy and available.