The Golden State Warriors have announced that guard De’Anthony Melton will miss the rest of the season after needing surgery on his left ACL.
Melton had already missed two games earlier this season due to an ACL sprain. After further tests, the team decided that surgery was the best option.
The Warriors were excited to sign Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal, hoping he’d be a great addition to their lineup as a two-way player. However, Melton only played in the first three games before a back injury kept him out for five games. He returned briefly, playing three more games and starting two of them, but then he suffered his ACL injury during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 12.
Head coach Steve Kerr expressed how tough the news was. “It’s terrible news,” he said. “We were excited to have him. He was a great fit for us and was going to start next to Stephen Curry.”
So far this season, Melton had been averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Kerr said Melton is disappointed but understands that surgery is the right decision. “You can’t mess around with a torn ACL,” Kerr explained. “This is the best choice for him, and we’re confident he’ll be back strong.”
In the meantime, the Warriors plan to start Lindy Waters III in Melton’s place.
Teammate Draymond Green added, “We’re going to miss his game, but what we’ll miss most is his great attitude and energy. He’s always smiling, always positive. It’s tough, especially for a guy in a contract year, but we know he’ll come back stronger.”
The Warriors can apply for a $6.4 million disabled player exception due to Melton’s injury, but they’re not allowed to go over their salary cap limit, which is just $534,000 below the threshold.
