Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton is expected to make his season debut on Thursday when the Warriors face the Philadelphia 76ers, one of his former clubs.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the plan on X, and Melton was not listed on the Warriors’ initial injury report for the road matchup. The appearance would be his first since tearing the ACL in his right knee on November 12, 2024—almost 13 months ago.
The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with Golden State during the 2024 offseason but logged only six games before the knee injury. In that brief stretch he averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals across 20.2 minutes, while the Warriors posted a +10.9 net rating during his 121 minutes on the floor.
Melton, traded to the Brooklyn Nets last season and reacquired by Golden State this fall, also missed a significant portion of the 2023-24 campaign with a back issue. Since January 2024 he has appeared in just 14 combined regular-season and playoff contests. Head coach Steve Kerr is expected to limit his minutes as he eases back into the rotation.
His return comes at a useful time for Golden State, which is already without Stephen Curry because of a quad contusion. Several other rotation players—Jimmy Butler (left knee soreness), Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle soreness) and Quinten Post (left ankle sprain)—are listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
Source: Hoops Rumors
