Three years into the NBA system and the future of Moses Moody remains up in the air after being selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Moody is not yet a fully fledged rotation player, but nor is he anywhere close to being considered a bust. It's quite a strange circumstance for someone who's now three years in, yet perfectly illustrates the inconsistent nature of his career to date.
The Golden State Warriors don't appear to have categorically hit on the 14th pick in 2021, so who could they have taken instead of Moses Moody?
Moody's place as a fringe rotation player isn't particularly all his fault, at least according to most fans who believe the 6'6" wing has been criminally underutilized by head coach Steve Kerr over the past couple of seasons.
In fact, Moody's lack of opportunity has been one of the biggest frustrations for fans, having seemingly played well on most occasions when given playing time. That was evident in Golden State's final game of the season in the Play-In Tournament against the Sacramento Kings, with Moody coming off the bench to score 16 points in 15 minutes after not seeing the floor until the second-quarter.
You could even make the argument that the 21-year-old should have been traded already for the good of his own career more so than finding an upgrade for the Warrior roster. Heading into the offseason where he's extension eligible, Moody's future will again be a source of speculation that will include potential trade possibilities.
Making things more frustrating is the fact a number of players drafted behind Moody have developed into starting-caliber players, and in some cases even appear headed for stardom. There's genuine doubt on whether they'd become those players had they been drafted by the Warriors, but nevertheless let's look at three players the franchise could have taken over Moody back in 2021.