The Warriors missed out on LeBron James, but that disappointment may have spared them from making a move they would have regretted.
To chase James, Golden State would have had to create more room than the minimum, which helps explain why Draymond Green has been left in limbo after declining his player option and why the team likely passed on matching Quinten Post’s offer sheet in restricted free agency. The last step in that path would have been finding a team willing to take Moses Moody, probably with a draft pick attached to make the deal work. For a player who still has real value, that would have been a brutal sell-low moment.
Instead, Moody stays put, and that matters. It may not feel like the kind of silver lining fans were hoping for after another swing at a star came up empty, but it is a real one. The 6-foot-5 wing just turned 24, even if it feels like he has been around forever, and his future in Golden State still looks strong despite the fact that he will miss at least the first few months of the season while rehabbing a torn patellar tendon.
Moody’s shooting has become one of the cleanest parts of his game. Last season, he hit 40.1 percent of his 6.3 3-point attempts per game.
Among the 56 players who took at least six threes a night, that ranked 12th, and it actually edged Stephen Curry’s 39.3 percent. That kind of volume and accuracy gives the Warriors something they can trust.
The bigger edge, though, is what Moody does on defense. He has built a reputation for strong defensive metrics, and he can handle multiple positions while contributing both on the ball and as a helper. He may not have the strength to switch onto bigs, but his 7-foot-1 wingspan and quick feet make him useful in just about any lineup.
That versatility, along with his ability to play off the ball, makes Moody a valuable piece for a team that needs all the help it can get. His $12.5 million salary this season would make him worth more than that on the court, but his injury and the Warriors’ urgency had been dragging down his trade value.
Now Golden State can wait. Moody can get healthy, work off the rust, and step back into the rotation as a useful piece - maybe even a starter.
If the Warriors want to revisit his trade value next summer, they can do it from a much better position. Or they can simply keep an elite role player around while Curry’s prime still has time left.
Trading Moody now would have hurt. Keeping him is the better outcome.
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Warriors Fans Now Face An Unthinkable Stephen Curry Summer Question
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One hypothetical has been enough to keep the topic alive, with a proposed framework built around Charlottes roster and draft flexibility to make the money work. It is the kind of exercise that feels far-fetched until it suddenly does not, which is why even a summer rumor around Curry lands with extra weight in Golden State, where every quiet stretch only sharpens the questions about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]