Why Moody’s contract extension is a win for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors’ agreement to a three-year, $39 million contract extension with Moses Moody on Sunday night is a win for Golden State entering the 2024-2025 NBA season, according to Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
Of course, Moody taking in $39 million, all guaranteed, is also a win for the 22-year-old. The agreement ahead of Monday’s deadline for rookie contract extensions theoretically shows the Warriors’ willingness to invest in the No. 14 pick in the 2021 draft after three years of being in and out of the rotation. But Moody also simply committed to the Warriors before coach Steve Kerr could really say the same.
Moody has been praised for his maturity from his rookie year through the end of his recent impressive preseason. His work ethic has never been questioned. When he gets opportunities, good things usually happen for the Warriors.
But while Moody completed the best overall preseason of any Warrior this year, he was also the 11th player to see the floor for them on Friday in a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which Golden State played without Steph Curry.
“We have a whole roster full of guys who are capable of playing in the rotation,” Kerr said after the win when asked about Moody’s position. “I have to make some very difficult decisions on Wednesday night in Portland. … It’s going to be no matter how you look at it, we’re going to have to leave some good players out of the rotation.”
Kerr’s starting lineup in the Warriors’ preseason finale consisted of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis, with newcomer De’Anthony Melton playing in place of Curry, who missed the game with a sprained right index finger. Reigning All-Rookie First-Team selection Brandin Podziemski was the first player off the bench, followed by Buddy Hield and defensive stalwart Gary Payton II, before Kyle Anderson (also an offseason acquisition) and veteran Kevon Looney entered the game.
A total of 10 players saw action in the first quarter. Moody wasn’t one of them. He started the second quarter and was a plus-5 in just under seven minutes during the quarter with four points and two rebounds. Moody scored 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench.
Although he missed all three of his three-point attempts, Moody was 5-of-6 on 2-pointers and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Through the first three years of his career, Moody has averaged 5.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting and 36.2 percent from three while playing 14.3 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 8.1 points per game last season. After being pushed this preseason to make quicker decisions with a quicker shot and more confidence from distance, Moody averaged 15.5 points per game while playing just over 20 minutes per game. He shot 39.4 percent on three-pointers and his total of 93 points was second in the entire NBA.
The contract Moody agreed to is the same year and total dollars that Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony, the No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft, agreed to stay this offseason. Anthony had better stats than Moody during each player’s first three seasons, but Moody also played 2,304 fewer minutes than Anthony in his first three years with the Warriors despite playing in nine more games than him.
Josh Green, the No. 18 pick in the 2020 draft, is a better comparison to Moody. The Dallas Mavericks signed Green to a three-year deal worth $41 million last offseason. Both considered 3-and-D type players, Green’s 5.8 points per game on 36.8 percent from three in his first three seasons are on par with Moody’s while playing four more minutes than him per game. Moody’s 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per 36 minutes rank higher than Green’s 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per 36 minutes before he signed his deal last October.
In the two games Moody started this preseason, he averaged 18.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting (12 of 27) and 36.4 percent from three — also 9 of 10 at the free throw line. It’s built to fit the type of team the Warriors want to be, where defense comes first and three-pointers come second. Keeping Moody for four more seasons, including the last of the year of his rookie contract this season, is a win on and off the field.
A pillar of the community, Moody won the Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area’s Emerging Leader Award on Oct. 16 after giving back during the offseason. Moody has paid his dues and has shown over the past three weeks that he is ready for Kerr’s bigger role. In return, the Warriors paid him life-changing money that could easily become a very team-friendly contract in the short and long term.
James Wiseman is now on his third team, the Indiana Pacers, and is still hoping to gain a foothold in the NBA. Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin wear Washington Wizards jerseys. The Warriors need a first-round pick to hold on, and Moody is their latest case study. Jonathan Kuminga, who was selected by the Warriors seven times ahead of Moody in the same draft, has not yet reached a deal before Monday’s deadline as of this publication.
“Trust my agent, trust the people I pay to focus on that and make the best of that situation. I can do what I can do, which is play basketball,” Moody said last week when asked about his contract extension. “That’s what I’ve been doing.”
His play did it all, and the folks at Moody’s took care of business. Days before the regular season opener for Moody’s fourth professional season, the Warriors have already earned their first win following an undefeated 6-0 preseason.
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