De'anthony Melton Listed Available Tuesday Despite Knee Question
De'anthony Melton is listed as available for Tuesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, though an injury update also places him in a questionable status with a left knee issue. The mixed status matters because it affects the Warriors' rotation for a back-to-back set and immediate lineup decisions for both coaching staff and fantasy managers.
De'anthony Melton: Development details
The most recent listings show differing signals about Melton’s ability to play Tuesday in New Orleans. One entry marks him available for the first leg of Golden State’s back-to-back, while a separate injury entry flags a left knee that leaves his status questionable for that same game. The available listing carries a timestamp of Tue, Feb 24th 2: 43pm EST.
Melton entered the week coming off a 20-point performance in Sunday’s win. Over a six-game stretch he had been a starter, averaging 14. 5 points, 2. 5 rebounds, 2. 3 assists and 2. 2 steals in 24. 8 minutes per contest. Across his most recent nine games those numbers sit at 14. 1 points, 3. 1 rebounds, 2. 8 assists and 2. 2 steals. Those statistical trends underline why his immediate availability is being tracked closely.
Context and escalation
The discrepancy in status stems from two simultaneous considerations. The left knee concern is the proximate cause that generated the questionable designation; that same injury is the reason the team listed him available while still leaving open the possibility he might be limited. Because Tuesday is the first leg of a back-to-back, the Warriors face a routine management decision: clearing him to play one night could increase the chance he sits the following day against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Stephen Curry’s ongoing knee absence has already shifted offensive workload onto other perimeter players, and Melton’s recent uptick in usage has been part of that adjustment. If the knee prevents full participation, the team would need to change the starting lineup and redistribute minutes accordingly.
Immediate impact
If Melton is ruled out, Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard are identified as the primary internal candidates to enter the starting five and absorb increased minutes. That potential substitution is a direct effect: Melton’s left knee question leads to lineup changes that would increase court time and offensive responsibility for those two players.
The immediate stakes are both competitive and managerial. On the court, the Warriors would lose a perimeter defender and playmaker who has averaged more than two steals per game over recent stretches. For fantasy managers and those setting NBA starting lineups, the uncertainty creates measurable consequences: Melton’s availability or absence materially alters projections because he has averaged in the mid-teens in scoring and near 25 minutes per game during his recent stretch.
Forward outlook
Tuesday’s game in New Orleans is the next concrete milestone for determining Melton’s status. Because he is listed for the first leg of a back-to-back, a follow-up decision about participation in Wednesday’s game against Memphis will be made after the initial contest and standard medical evaluation. The team will finalize the active roster and any related depth-chart changes before game time, and that confirmation will resolve whether Podziemski or Richard step into starting roles for Tuesday or beyond.
What makes this notable is the combination of a recent scoring spike—a 20-point outing—and sustained defensive production, which raises the stakes of the availability decision for Golden State’s immediate rotation. The timing matters because the club is managing minutes in Curry’s absence and cannot assume Melton will be available for both nights of the back-to-back.
