Warriors Anticipate De'Anthony Melton Missing Early Portion of 2025-26 Season

The Golden State Warriors reportedly anticipate free-agent addition De'Anthony Melton will miss the early portion of the 2025-26 NBA season as he concludes the final stages of his ACL rehabilitation. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, citing sources, that Melton, who reportedly agreed to a contract with the Warriors on Sunday, had ACL surgery in early December, approximately 10 months prior. While the Warriors are pleased with his current progress, they plan to take a careful approach to his return. Melton had initially signed with Golden State last offseason, playing six games before tearing his ACL on November 12 against the Dallas Mavericks. His contract was subsequently traded to the Brooklyn Nets on December 15 in a deal that brought Dennis Schröder to the Bay. After missing the majority of the 2024-25 season, the 27-year-old guard is set to return to the Warriors, where his seventh NBA season began, and is expected to provide reliable two-way depth at the guard position once he is ready to play.