SAN FRANCISCO — De’Anthony Melton will miss the rest of the 2024-25 season with a sprained left ACL.
Melton, 26, is scheduled to get surgery on his knee in the near future, the Warriors announced. While he has missed the past two games, he and the team were diligent about seeking multiple opinions for his injury. The best course of action, they concluded, was season-ending surgery.
Melton has been productive when available this season and earned a starting role next to Steph Curry in the back court. A two-way, multidimensional guard, Melton has averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Golden State signed Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal this past offseason, which means he’ll be a free agent after the season ends. He missed more than half of last year due to serious back injuries, but had worked in the summer to fortify his core in an effort to prevent further issues.
Before his knee injury though, Melton missed five straight games with a back strain. He described it as mild — and significantly less painful than what he endured last year — but the team treated him with caution.
Three games after returning — and after earning the starting shooting guard role — he sprained his knee against the Mavericks. After limping for a bit, Melton finished the game out.
Given Melton’s status as a pending free agent, it’s possible his tenure as a Warrior consists of just six games.
This is a developing story.