Stephen Curry didn’t have to show up in Arkansas. That’s what made it matter.
According to Moses Moody, the Warriors star made the trip for a youth event in Moody’s home state, and the gesture left a real mark on the young guard. Moody called it “a crazy concept to me.
I met Steph Curry five years ago, and now he’s here in Arkansas. … You can say you like somebody.
You can say you rock with somebody. But to actually come and do something like this, it really just makes me feel good about myself, for one, and it’s cool to know he thinks so highly of me,” per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
For a Golden State team that has had a rough offseason so far - missing on LeBron James in free agency and appearing likely to bring back the same roster that finished with 37 wins last year - Curry remains the one constant. And if the Warriors are going to get anything out of this season, they’ll need him healthy.
Curry had nothing but praise for Moody, too, and his comments showed exactly why teammates value him so much. “Just his curiosity for life.
The questions he has. Just the spirit he has.
And that was from Day 1. … And you kind of understand it means so much to him to be able to have this weekend and this presence here,” Curry said.
Moody is recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered near the end of last season, and he’s expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming year. Jimmy Butler, who tore his ACL midway through last season, will also begin the year on the bench.
That puts even more pressure on Curry, who also battled injuries throughout last season. The Warriors need him on the floor, and they need the leadership that travels with him.
In Other News...
Warriors Already Have Early Proof They Nailed A Key Draft Call
Golden State had a chance to get cute on draft night, but instead the front office stayed put and used the 11th pick on Yaxel Lendeborg after declining Oklahoma Citys offer to move up. The deal would have brought back future second-round picks, but the Warriors passed, betting on the player they wanted rather than the extra assets, and that choice already looks like a smart one for a team trying to keep finding value wherever it can.
Lendeborg backed up the decision quickly in summer league, where he was named MVP and helped lead the Warriors to the championship. Oklahoma Citys Aday Mara, taken one spot later, flashed a few encouraging signs, but the early returns have tilted clearly toward Golden State, which at least for now seems to have found a clean win in a draft process that could matter well beyond July. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Get Encouraging Moses Moody Update After Trade Buzz
Moses Moodys recovery has taken a promising step forward, a welcome update for a Warriors team that has spent plenty of time this summer weighing roster possibilities and rotation stability. Four months after surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, Moody is making good progress in his rehab, and the organization is expected to stay patient rather than push him back before he is ready.
The next checkpoint matters, though, because it will help frame just how soon Golden State can realistically count on him again. If the rehab keeps trending in the right direction, Moody should remain part of the conversation for the Warriors when he returns, which gives the team at least one encouraging internal storyline to monitor as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face One Trade Dilemma In Pursuit Of Bench Scoring
The Warriors search for more bench scoring has only become more urgent as the roster has settled into its new shape, and one name floating in that conversation is tied to Milwaukees post-Giannis reshuffling. After Giannis Antetokounmpo was dealt to the Heat, the Bucks brought in several pieces, and among the players drawing outside attention is a young wing who turned in a strong season and has the kind of offensive profile that could help Golden States second unit.
Even so, the path to a deal does not look simple. League chatter has centered on the idea of using draft capital to make it happen, but the Warriors have been cautious about moving future picks, especially for a player whose contract situation adds another layer of complexity. Between the price in assets and the extension questions that come with it, this is the sort of trade idea that sounds helpful for a bench that needs scoring, yet still feels unlikely to become real unless the market shifts. [Read more 🡒]