De’Anthony Melton’s season is over.
The Golden State Warriors announced Wednesday night that Melton will undergo season-ending ACL surgery.
Melton went down in the Warriors’ 120-117 victory over the Dallas Mavericks last week, although it’s unclear when exactly he got hurt in that game. Melton, who was recently moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup, was ruled out indefinitely with a sprained anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
However, additional testing in recent days determined that it would be best for him to “proceed” with surgery rather than attempt to return to the court this season. Melton will now do that in the coming days.
Melton joined the Warriors last offseason on a one-year, $12.8 million contract after spending the last two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in six games with Golden State. He scored 16.5 points and seven rebounds per game once he entered the starting lineup. The 26-year-old also missed five games with a lower back strain.
While Melton should be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign, it’s unclear where he’ll end up. Melton will be a free agent next summer. While he looked solid for the Warriors earlier this season, the team may not be willing to sign him to another deal, especially now that he is coming off an ACL injury. Melton was first selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and spent time with both the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies before landing in Philadelphia.
The Warriors entered Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks with a 10-3 record, putting them with a slight lead in the Western Conference standings. They are undefeated after two games and also lead their group in the NBA Cup. The Warriors will face the New Orleans Pelicans next Friday in their third tournament game of the season.