Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton is set to undergo ACL surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Warriors announced on Wednesday.
Melton missed the last two games due to a sprained left ACL, but will now undergo surgery, and won’t return this season.
“Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, who has missed the last two (2) games due to a sprained left ACL, underwent further testing to determine the extent of the injury,” the Warriors wrote in a statement. “The tests indicated that it is in De’Anthony’s best interest to proceed with ACL surgery. He is scheduled for surgery in the near future and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season.”
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Melton signed a one-year, $12.8 million deal with the Warriors this past offseason. He was expected to play a big role for the team and was doing just that through his first six games of the year, averaging 20.2 minutes per game and scoring 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest.
Unfortunately, Melton sustained an ACL injury in the team’s 120-117 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12. Then, after getting multiple opinions, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hinted at potentially bad news coming in an appearance on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” on Tuesday.
“He’s been seeking other opinions, and we’ve really been evaluating everything, just trying to get him the best advice he can get,” Kerr said.
“We’re obviously very concerned. Any time you’re talking about an ACL — I had one in college and tore it completely and had surgery — it’s a serious injury, so we’re really taking our time and making sure De’Anthony gets all of the advice he needs.”
Unfortunately for Melton and the Warriors, the best course of action ended up being surgery. Now, one of the team’s major offseason acquisitions will miss the remainder of the season, which is a huge blow to Golden State’s rotation.
The Warriors are currently 10-3 heading into their Wednesday night matchup against the 7-8 Atlanta Hawks. Melton started the final two games he played this season and has since been replaced in the starting lineup by Lindy Waters III.
The Warriors acquired Waters this offseason in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 27-year-old is averaging 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game this season.
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