Proposed Trade Swaps Warriors Prospect for Elite Perimeter Defender

Outside of James Wiseman finally getting back onto the court after his false start back in March, Moses Moody has been the talk of summer league for the Golden State Warriors. In his Las Vegas Summer League debut, the baller overcame a stomach bug to score 34 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

Along the way he toyed with defenders, getting to the hoop with relative ease and racking up 17 free throw attempts as a result.

Given the fact that he’ll be taking on a larger role as a rotational piece next season, that’s the kind of performance fans want to see out of Moody. However, there’s also a thought that now may just be the time to cash in on the former lotto pick’s potential by dealing him for a solid, win-now piece.

If that’s a direction the Warriors decide they want to go in, one analyst believes he has the perfect deal for bolstering next season’s title defense.

B/R Floats Move for Two-Time All-Defensive Pick

Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley dropped his latest batch of trade-machine musings on Thursday, pitching three hypothetical deals for Golden State. In addition to tossing out yet another KD swap and a trade for Derrick Favors and Kenrich Williams of the Thunder, the hoops scribe also proposed the following deal:

• Philadelphia 76ers receive G/F Moses Moody
• Golden State Warriors receive F Matisse Thybulle and two future second-round picks

On the surface, this one looks like a slam-dunk for the Dubs. Even if you’re a big-time believer in Moody, it’s difficult to predict whether he’ll ever be a cornerstone piece in the Bay. Thybulle, meanwhile, is already a top-five perimeter defender in the Association, with room to grow offensively.

It’s not difficult to envision him wreaking the same kind of defensive havoc that Payton did in 2021-22.

Moreover, the Warriors get draft assets in the deal, which are always held at a premium, but become even more important when you’re a repeater tax team with precious few avenues toward swinging trades and/or signing players for back-end roster spots.

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Thybulle’s Offense Does Have a Ways to Go, Though

Thybulle’s defensive numbers speak for themselves. He led the league in steal percentage (3.4), as well as deflections per 36 minutes (5.3) last season. He also finished 10th among players appearing in 20-plus games in the percentage of loose balls he recovered while on defense at 76.3.

Then there’s this: opposing players’ field goal percentages dropped 4.8% overall on average and 11.6% from three-point range when Thybulle was the closest defender.

On the other end, though, he’s only a career 32.4% three-point shooter who has never averaged more than 5.7 points per contest. He hasn’t shown a great propensity for getting to the line, either, and he’s well under 70% for his career when he gets there.

Still, the Warriors were able to get something extra out of Payton, who’s also a career 32% marksman from deep. And there’s also a likelihood that Thybulle could generate offense from the dunker spot, as Payton did.

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