The Golden State Warriors are essentially done with their offseason at this point, having mostly brought back the same lineup as last season, with one major hope left remaining: That LeBron James decides to come play for the Warriors to close out his career after announcing he would be leaving the Lakers just ahead of free agency’s opening. It an be debated whether the Warriors should put themselves to the front of the line in the James chase by trading for Anthony Davis from the Wizards, but there are very big reasons (Jimmy Butler’s injury, Washington’s asking price, Davis’s health and contract) why that would be foolhardy.
Beyond that, the Warriors appear comfortable with hoping for improvement from within, especially with its small stable of young players–Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Will Richard and rookies Yaxel Lendeborg and Lajae Jones. Unfortunately, they won’t get a chance to see such improvement from one of their most promising youngsters, Moses Moody.
Last March, Moody’s season ended early with a torn patellar tendon, an injury with a wide range of return timetables. It is possible that Moody could be back around Christmas. It is possible he won’t play at all next season. That puts the Warriors in a bind.
Moses Moody Injury Could Force Warriors Move
Obviously, they would love to keep developing Moody. He is only 24 years old and has seen his scoring and minutes rise each season he has been in the NBA, and averaged 12.1 points in 25.7 minutes while making 40.1% of his 3s. Moody has also become a rugged and reliable defensive players, one of the better 3-and-D winds in the league.
But the Warriors are short on time. They have Stephen Curry at age 38 and Draymond Green at age 36. They need to have players who are ready to win and with Butler on the shelf recovering from a torn ACL, Moody is their best chip to ship out in a trade. It’s not that the Dubs don’t value him or worry about his long-term health–it’s just that it would be rough to open the season with two starters on the shelf.
Moody himself acknowledged the situation, especially if James comes to the Bay. ““I’m curious,” Moody said to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson. “I had some conversations just trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Moses Moody Has Trade Value
Checking in on executives around the league, there is no doubt that the Warriors could get a player in return for Moody.
“Oh, he definitely has value, and he is not expensive,” one NBA executive said, pointing to Moody’s two-year, $25 million contract. “They’re not out there shopping him but there are offers and that will be something to circle back on. The LeBron thing is still out there.
“In most years, they could definitely get a good return on him, get a guy who could help you win now. If you’re a tanking team, you would take him in a heartbeat and park him for next year and then you’ve got a great role player in two years, still young. But look, no one is tanking. So, what are you going to do with a guy who might not play?”
Warriors Cost-Benefit Analysis
Another Western Conference executive said that the Warriors do have their own cost-benefit analysis to do.
“They know him better than anyone, and their training staff is one of the best or maybe the best in the business so they know the likelihood he can be back,” they said. “I think they would move him for a guy who is as good, who is on the same level. But it has to be the same contract level, too, and that’s not something you are going to find that easy.
“I’d say they are on the lookout but you have to ask, is this guy better than Moody? And if not, is he good enough that the fact he is healthy matters more? If I am getting, say, half a season with Moody, is the guy I am trading for 70, 75% the player he is? It’s a complicated decision.”
Warriors Face ‘Complicated’ Moses Moody Trade Issue Amid Rumors