According to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, there's a chance the Warriors now look to use Melton's salary as a potential trade chip. Golden State was actively looking for potential star-level talents during the summer and could resume their search in the coming weeks and months.

Golden State signed Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million deal this past summer, meaning he’ll be a free agent again after the season ends. Most players in the modern era recover fully from ACL surgeries, so Melton will likely have plenty of suitors in free agency — at least for another short-term deal.

The Warriors are not eligible to trade De'Anthony Melton before December 15. But if they do, here are three realistic Warriors trade options.

Lindy Waters III could be a temporary replacement for Melton, or Brandin Podziemski might get the nod to jump-start his sophomore season.

The Golden State Warriors announced Wednesday that veteran guard De'Anthony Melton will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an ACL injury that

Replacing 3-and-D combo guard De'Anthony Melton on such short notice will be no easy feat for the Golden State Warriors.

Melton was a key part of the Warriors rotation, averaging 10.3 points and playing quality defense in 20 minutes a night.

The Golden State Warriors could boost their contention chances by adding a proven scorer to improve their bench.