Five fake trades the Warriors should consider after devastating injury news

After just six games with the Golden State Warriors, De’Anthony Melton was ruled out for the season due to ACL surgery. Melton signed a one-year, $12.8 million deal this summer 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 a 12-man rotation all season, so a group of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and even Andrew Wiggins could fill the shooting guard spot, but to bolster their depth, the Warriors should consider adding a secondary scorer .

Melton can’t be traded until Dec. 15, but the Warriors could add draft picks to his expiring salary to entice rebuilding teams to take him. Amid an 11-3 start, there is some pressure on the Warriors to make a winning trade before the Feb. 6 deadline to bolster their roster and finish at the top of the Western Conference. Here are five trades they could make to replace Melton.

1. Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets

Season Averages: 24.6 PPG, 3.1 APG, 45.8 FG%, 39.23 FG%

The Nets were expected to compete for the top draft pick in a loaded 2025 class this season, but a rotten Eastern Conference hasn’t really allowed them to bottom out. The Nets, currently 6-9 and in the Play-In Tournament, are expected to trade all of their top players in exchange for future assets.

At 24 years old, Thomas is part of the trade along with all of his teammates. Like Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, he was unable to extend his rookie contract and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Kuminga has been linked to the Nets, but Brooklyn has no reason to trade one outgoing 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 contract won’t eat up any money next year. The Nets are essentially sitting on no players and adding some draft picks to Thomas, although that deal can’t be finalized until December.

2. Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz

Season Averages: 15.9 PPG, 3.7 APG, 40.0 FG%, 27.53 FG%

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

Despite signing Lauri Markkanen to a contract extension this summer, the Jazz are clearly on the decline and are hoping to land a top young player in the draft, just like the Nets. Clarkson is 32 years old and simply doesn’t fit into Utah’s schedule, so the Warriors could likely pry him away.

Clarkson has two years left on his contract, so he won’t be on a one-year loan like Thomas. However, the Warriors could also offer Melton a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. This would immediately add to Salt Lake City’s rebuild and open up some cap space once Melton becomes a free agent, much like how the deal would affect the Nets, although Clarkson projects he’ll come for less .

3. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

Season averages: 22.0 ppg, 4.2 apg, 51.2% FG, 43.23% FG.

While Clarkson and Thomas will be brought to the Bay to play complementary roles, LaVine will immediately become the second star behind Stephen Curry. Ever since the 2022-23 campaign, when the Bulls went 40-42, it was clear that LaVine couldn’t lead the team and he was included in false trades and reports. He’s off to a strong start individually this season, but the Bulls are 6-10. They owe their 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs unless they finish in the top ten, so trading top players and tanking makes a lot of sense.

Unlike Clarkson and Thomas, who are fairly inexpensive, LaVine will make over $40 million per year over the next three seasons with a player option in 2026-27. The Warriors will stick with him for the rest of Curry’s prime, and the fact that no one has traded for him yet should tell Golden State that they won’t be able to move him if things don’t go well.

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

Given LaVine’s massive salary, our mock trade sees the Warriors sending Cuminga, Melton and Wiggins. The Bulls could take a hard trade and demand some draft picks, but a solid young player like Kuminga should be enough. The Warriors are trimming their trade depth, but they are adding a two-time All-Star to play next to Curry, which could be more sustainable than relying on the bench.

4. Colleen Sexton, Utah Jazz

Season Averages: 15.8 PPG, 3.1 APG, 45.6 FG%, 44.43 FG%

Sexton is a younger, better, more effective version of Clarkson. With two years left on his contract, he won’t be as deep a player as LaVine, but he will likely end up in the starting lineup, allowing Hield and Podziemski to take advantage of weaker defenses by playing second string.

In addition to Melton’s absence, the Warriors are clearly lacking in size. They don’t have anyone taller than 6-foot-9 on their full-time NBA roster, and there are serious concerns that Golden State won’t be able to keep up with Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Anthony Davis or Nikola Jokic in the postseason. .

In a mock Sexton trade, the Warriors give up Melton, Kevon Looney and first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2028, further accelerating Utah’s rebuild, but in return they get both Walker Kessler and Sexton. Looney and Melton are both out of contract, so the deal doesn’t limit Utah’s flexibility and gives them two unprotected picks while solving two of Golden State’s problems.

5. Norman Powell, Los Angeles Clippers

Season Averages: 23.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, 49.0 FG%, 48.73 FG%

At 31, Powell is having the best season of his career. Before the Warriors announced that Melton would be out for the season, I thought Powell was a great target for Golden State, and in light of the latest news, that rings even more true.

The Warriors rank third in the NBA in three-point percentage, and adding one of their top shooters (who can also defend well!) will only strengthen their offense. While Melton and Kuminga would likely be a solid enough package to get a deal done with the Clippers, a revised and updated trade mock would send Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II to Los Angeles for Powell, Kris Dunn and P.J. Tucker. The Warriors should have a first-round draft pick in 2026 just in case, but this deal will allow them to keep Kuminga.

Losing the defense of Wiggins and Payton will 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 get him out of town would be beneficial. On top of that, his strong 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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