Five mock trades the Warriors should consider after devastating injury news

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, $12.8 million contract this summer in hopes of helping 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 three-point range. Steve Kerr has used 12-man rotations all season, so a committee of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and even Andrew Wiggins could take over the shooting guard position, but in an effort to increase their depth the Warriors should consider adding a secondary scorer.

Melton cannot be traded until December 15, but the Warriors can attach draft picks to his expiring salary to encourage rebuilding teams to take him on. Amid an 11-3 start, there is some pressure on the Warriors to make a win-now trade before the Feb. 6 deadline to shore up their lineup and finish on top of the 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 tank this season for the best possible draft pick in the loaded 2025 class, but the rotten Eastern Conference hasn’t exactly allowed them to race to the bottom. Currently, the Nets are sitting at 6-9 and in the Play-In Tournament picture, they are expected to sell all of their best players for future assets.

At just 24 years old, Thomas is on the trading block along with all of his teammates. Like Warriors’ forward Jonathan Kuminga, he was unable to reach 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 package to Melton and a slew of future draft picks for Thomas and Keon Johnson.

The Nets currently have seven players on expiring deals and are prioritizing future cap space so Melton’s expiring deal won’t eat up next year’s money. The Nets are essentially not picking up any players and adding a bundle of draft picks for Thomas, although that deal couldn’t be completed until December.

2. Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz

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

Since the 2017-2018 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 spots and shoot confidently from all over the court. When he’s hot, he’s nearly unstoppable, and when he’s cold, Kerr can trade him for one of the Warriors’ many other options.

Despite extending Lauri Markkanen this summer, the Jazz are clearly tanking and hoping to land a premier young player in the draft, just like the Nets are. Clarkson is 32 years old and simply doesn’t fit into Utah’s timeline, so the Warriors could probably pry him away.

Clarkson has two years left on his contract, so he wouldn’t have a one-year lease like Thomas could. Still, the Warriors could offer Melton and a 2026 first-round draft pick. That would immediately help rebuild Salt Lake City and free up some cap space once Melton hits free agency, similar to how a deal would affect the Nets, although Clarkson plans to come in 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 complementary roles, LaVine would immediately take over as second star behind Stephen Curry. Since the 2022-2023 season, where the Bulls won 40-42, it has been clear that LaVine cannot lead a team and has been implicated in sham trades and reports. This season he is off to a solid start as an individual, but the Bulls are 6-10. They owe their 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs unless it falls in the top ten, so trading away their best players and tanking makes a lot of sense.

Unlike Clarkson and Thomas, who are fairly cheap, LaVine will make well over $40 million per year over the next three seasons, with a player option in 2026-2027. The Warriors would be committed to him for the remainder of Curry’s prime, and the fact that no one has traded for him yet should tell Golden State that they can’t flip him if things go south.

If all goes according to plan, the Warriors will add an explosive offensive weapon that could take some of Curry’s scoring load while serving as a secondary distributor.

Given LaVine’s huge salary, our bogus trade sees the Warriors shipping away Kuminga, Melton and Wiggins. The Bulls could make a raw deal and demand some draft capital as well, but a solid young player like Kuminga should be enough. The Warriors reduce their depth in trade, but they do add a two-time All-Star to play alongside Curry, which may 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 and more efficient version of Clarkson. With two years left on his contract, he wouldn’t be the huge commitment that LaVine would be, but he could 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 roster is taller than 6-foot-1, and there are very real concerns that Golden State won’t be able to keep up with Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Davis or Nikola Jokić in the postseason. .

In the mock trade for Sexton, the Warriors ship Melton, Kevon Looney and first-round picks in 2026 and 2028, further fueling Utah’s rebuild, but in return they get both Walker Kessler and Sexton. Both Looney and Melton have expiring contracts, so the trade doesn’t limit Utah’s flexibility and 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 years old, Powell is having the best season of his career. Before the Warriors announced Melton would be out for the season, I identified Powell as one excellent target for Golden State, and in light of recent news, that rings even more true.

The Warriors are third in the NBA in three-point percentage, and adding one of the best shooters (who can also defend quite well!) would only increase their offense. While Melton and Kuminga would likely be solid enough to get a deal done 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 the record, the Warriors would need a first-round pick in 2026, but this deal allows them to retain Kuminga.

Losing Wiggins and Payton on defense would hurt, but Powell is capable and Dunn is a very good defender. The Clippers have yet to play Tucker this season after he requested a trade, so any reason to bring him out of town would be beneficial. Additionally, his sturdy and physical 6-5 frame could help address the Warriors’ size issue if he has enough gas in the tank to compete.

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