A 113-105 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday pushed the Golden State Warriors to their fourth-straight loss, with their recent form starting to undo so much of their good work through the first 15 games.
The Warriors have a number of issues they need to address -- they're still seemingly unsure on who to start at the shooting guard spot, while Trayce Jackson-Davis' hold on the starting center position is under some pressure.
The Golden State bench has shifted from being a major strength to a big weakness, and the team's lack of another star scorer has been evident with some offensive struggles over recent games.
December 15 is a key date for the Warriors
The Warriors may not be able to put out all of their fires with what they have on the roster, particularly after the season-ending injury to De'Anthony Melton. Speaking of Melton, December 15 becomes a key date to look out for in regard to potential Golden State trade activity.
After signing a one-year, $12.8 million contract in free agency, Melton will officially become trade eligible on December 15. While the Warriors would far prefer the 26-year-old to be playing 25-30 minutes per game for them in a starting role right now, the brutal reality of his injury means that he will become a key trade piece for the front office to utilize.
Not only will Melton become trade eligible, but so too will fellow offseason acquisitions Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. It's unlikely that either of that veteran duo are moved, but they're far from untouchable and it does provide Golden State with much more trade flexibility.
A number of other players across the league will also become trade eligible, some of who could quickly become available on the market. Jonas Valancuinas, for example, is someone the Warriors could have interest in as they continue to search for their best center rotation.
The February 6 trade deadline is still over two months away, but if Golden State wait till that point before they actually make a move, it might be too late if their slide down the Western Conference standings continue.
The Warriors face an incredibly difficult December schedule as they try to retain their top six standing in the West. A previous 12-3 record had afforded the franchise some room for error, but that's disappeared amid this four-game losing streak. If the same recent issues persist, urgency will rise in quickly trying to turn Melton and assets into another impactful rotation piece.
