After just six games with the Golden State Warriors, De’Anthony Melton has been shut down for the season as he undergoes ACL surgery. Melton signed a one-year deal this summer worth $12.8 million in hopes he could help replace Klay Thompson, but his devastating injury means the Warriors will have to continue to rely on their depth.

Melton played 20.2 minutes per game for the Warriors and averaged 10.3 points on 37.4% shooting from 3-point range. Steve Kerr has used 12-man rotations throughout the season, so a committee of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and even Andrew Wiggins could take over at shooting guard, but with the goal of bolstering their depth , the Warriors should consider adding a secondary scorer.

Melton can’t be traded until Dec. 15, but the Warriors could attach draft picks to his expiring salary to encourage rebuilding teams to hire him. Amid an 11-3 start, there’s some pressure on the Warriors to complete a win-now trade before the Feb. 6 deadline to strengthen their roster and finish as the best in the league. Western Conference. Here are five trades they could make to replace Melton.

1. Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets

Season averages: 24.6PPG, 3.1APG, 45.8FG%, 39.23PT%

The Nets were expected to contend this season for the best possible draft pick in the loaded 2025 class, but the putrid Eastern Conference hasn’t exactly allowed them a run to the bottom. Currently at 6-9 and in the Play-In tournament picture, the Nets are expected to sell all of their top players for future assets.

At just 24 years old, Thomas is on the verge of being traded along with all of his teammates. Much like Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, he failed to secure a rookie extension and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Kuminga has been linked to the Nets, but there’s no reason for Brooklyn to trade one expiring fourth-year player for another. Instead, the Warriors could offer a Melton package and a slew of future draft picks for Thomas and Keon Johnson.

The Nets currently have seven players on expiring contracts and are prioritizing future cap space, so Melton’s expiring deal wouldn’t eat into next year’s money. The Nets effectively agreed to no players and added a package of draft picks for Thomas, although that deal could not be completed until December.

2. Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz

Season averages: 15.9PPG, 3.7APG, 40.0FG%, 27.53PT%

Since the 2017-18 NBA season, Clarkson has been one of the most reliable bench scorers in the NBA. His shooting percentages aren’t the best, but he can get to his spot and shoot confidently from all over the court. When he’s hot, he’s nearly unstoppable, and when he’s cold, Kerr could replace him with one of the Warriors’ many other options.

Despite Lauri Markkanen’s extension this summer, the Jazz are very clearly tanking and hoping to recruit a top young player in the draft, much like the Nets are. Clarkson is 32 and just doesn’t fit Utah’s timeline, so the Warriors could probably move him away.

Clarkson has two years left on his contract, so he wouldn’t be rented for a year like Thomas might. Still, the Warriors could offer Melton and a first-round pick in 2026. That would immediately add to the rebuild in Salt Lake City and open up some cap space once Melton enters free agency, similar to a deal would affect the Nets, although Clarkson plans to arrive at a lower price.

3. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

Season averages: 22.0PPG, 4.2APG, 51.2FG%, 43.23PT%

While Clarkson and Thomas would be brought to The Bay to play a complementary role, LaVine would immediately take over as the second star behind Stephen Curry. Since the 2022-23 campaign, where the Bulls went 40-42, it has been clear that LaVine cannot lead a team and he has been included in mock trades and reports. This season he is off to a good start as an individual but the Bulls are 6-10. They owe their 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, unless they fall out of the top ten, so trading their best players and tanking makes a lot of sense.

Unlike Clarkson and Thomas, who are quite cheap, LaVine will make well over $40 million per year over the next three seasons, with a player option in 2026-27. The Warriors are reportedly committed to him for the rest of Curry’s life, and the fact that no one has traded for him yet should signal to Golden State that they won’t be able to flip him if things go south.

If all goes as planned, the Warriors add an explosive offensive weapon who can take some of Curry’s load off while acting as a secondary distributor.

Given LaVine’s huge salary, our mock trade has the Warriors returning Kuminga, Melton and Wiggins. The Bulls could make tough negotiations and also demand draft capital, but a solid young player like Kuminga should be enough. The Warriors are reducing their depth in the trade, but they are adding a two-time All-Star to play next to Curry, which could be more sustainable than relying on a bench unit.

4. Collin Sexton, Utah Jazz

Season averages: 15.8PPG, 3.1APG, 45.6FG%, 44.43PT%

Sexton is a younger, better, more effective version of Clarkson. With two years remaining on his contract, he wouldn’t be as committed as LaVine, but he would likely fit into the starting lineup, allowing Hield and Podziemski to take advantage of weaker defenses while playing with the second unit.

In addition to missing Melton, the Warriors have a glaring lack of size. No one on their full-time NBA team is taller than 6-foot-9, and there are real concerns that Golden State won’t be able to keep up with Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Davis or Nikola Jokić in the playoffs. .

In the mock trade for Sexton, the Warriors ship out Melton, Kevon Looney and first-round picks in 2026 and 2028, further boosting Utah’s rebuild, but in return they get both Walker Kessler and Sexton. Looney and Melton both have expiring contracts, so the trade doesn’t restrict Utah’s flexibility, and it gives them two unprotected picks while solving two problems for Golden State.

5. Norman Powell, Los Angeles Clippers

Season averages: 23.3PPG, 2.3APG, 49.0FG%, 48.73PT%

At 31, Powell is having the best season of his career. Before the Warriors announced Melton would be out for the season, I identified Powell as a excellent target for Golden State, and in light of recent news, it rings even more true.

The Warriors are third in the NBA in 3-point percentage, and adding one of the best shooters (who can also defend pretty well!) would only strengthen their offense. While Melton and Kuminga would likely be a strong enough package to land a deal with the Clippers, a revised and updated mock trade would send Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II to Los Angeles for Powell, Kris Dunn and PJ Tucker. For good measure, the Warriors should tender a 2026 first-round pick, but this deal allows them to keep Kuminga.

Losing Wiggins and Payton’s defense would hurt, but Powell is capable and Dunn is a very good defender. The Clippers have yet to face Tucker this season after he requested a trade, so any reason to get him out of town would be beneficial. On top of that, his tough and physical 6-5 frame could help solve the Warriors’ size problem, if he has enough gas left in the tank to compete.

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