The Golden State Warriors are entering a strange period at an organizational level. They quickly went from a team with championship aspirations to one in dire need of a reset when Jimmy Butler went down with a torn ACL this past week.
While they were expected to be among the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline, that dream is now likely off the table. There is no obvious move they could make that would bring them back into championship contention.
The only thing left to do is to play out the season, granting opportunities to young players that would not normally be available.
This also means that players who were previously on the trade block have been granted a temporary reprieve. Moses Moody must take full advantage of this fact.
Moses Moody now has another chance to prove his worth to the Warriors
Although the pace of Moody's development was rather disappointing through his first three seasons in the league, his break-out after the Butler trade last season left reason for optimism.
Moody stepped into the starting lineup with Andrew Wiggins' departure, averaging 11 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while knocking down 35.6% of his attempts from 3-point range from Feb. 10 onwards.
This season, he's cut through Golden State's deep rotation to earn a starting role in the frontcourt. He's currently averaging 10.7 points, three rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 39.4% from deep.
He's proved to be a valuable 3-and-D player that can complement Stephen Curry as a starter or take on important minutes off the bench.
His team-friendly three-year, $37.5 million contract, however, would have made it necessary to pair him with Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield in any deal the Warriors would have completed at the deadline.
With Kuminga suffering an ankle sprain on Thursday night, any hope of such a deal has now diminished.
Golden State must weigh all of their options as the trade deadline approaches. That is the duty they have to Curry as he approaches the end of his career.
As painful as it may be, however, the best route this season is almost certainly to allow the young players time to develop.
This means giving Moody even more extensive minutes. If Moody can continue to knock down his shots from beyond the arc, he has a chance to prove why the Warriors should avoid trading him in the offseason.
He got off to a good start against the Dallas Mavericks, posting 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field.
Butler's injury, in a funny way, has granted Moody new life.