The Golden State Warriors suspended recently re-signed guard Monta Ellis for 30 games without pay on Saturday for violating his player contract.

Ellis, who signed a six-year, $66 million contract in July, underwent successful surgery on his left ankle after a moped accident just a month later -- a procedure that will sideline the 22-year-old until mid-December.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Ellis originally told team officials he injured the ankle in a pickup basketball game before coming clean.

Paragraph 12 of the contract reads: "The Player agrees that he will not, without the written consent of the Team, engage in any activity that a reasonable person would recognize as involving or exposing the participant to a substantial risk of bodily injury including, but not limited to...(iii) driving or riding on a motorcycle or moped."

The Warriors' second-round pick in the 2005 draft will be available to return to the team following the December 17 game at Indiana.

"The cooperation that we received from Jeff Fried [Ellis' representative] enabled us to be very diligent in collecting all of the facts surrounding the incident," Warrior president Robert Rowell said. "This 30-game suspension is a result of that. From this point forward, it is the complete focus of everyone involved to provide Monta with all the support he needs to have a successful rehabilitation, and to get him back on the court as an integral part of this team."

The up-and-coming versatile guard averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 81 games with Golden State last year, his third with the club.

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