Moses Moody's time with the Golden State Warriors has been littered with uncertainty -- from his on-court playing time, trade speculation, and now his contract extension eligibility ahead of the October 21 deadline.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. stated on Thursday that there have been "good positive conversations" in regards to extensions for Moody and fellow 2021 lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga, though that sentiment is inconsistent to a recent report from Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Dunleavy did push to reiterate that just because an extension may not get done, doesn't mean that Moody and/or Kuminga won't be at the franchise for a very long time. At the same time the Warriors front office have appeared to be more willing to include Moody in trade discussions compared to some of their other young talent, having reportedly offered the 22-year-old in their dealings with the Utah Jazz for Lauri Markkanen.
A Moses Moody trade could get the Warriors an upgrade while giving the young wing an opportunity to thrive
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report recently urged Golden State to explore a Moody trade, citing the unlikeliness of an extension and the fact the franchise has acquired two similarly-positioned players this offseason in De'Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield.
With training camp now just days away, it's highly unlikely that Moody is moved anytime in the next few weeks. But if there is no extension forthcoming, that could accelerate trade talks mid-season, rather than the Warriors putting themselves at the mercy of another team's offer in restricted free agency.
In an ideal world Golden State would use Moody as part of a bigger package for a star player, as they tried to with Markkanen during the offseason. It's difficult to evaluate where Moody's value lies by himself -- sure he's got talent that teams could back themselves in to unearth, but it's unlikely they're banging down the door with anything major from a trade standpoint.
If Moody starts the season on the fringes of Steve Kerr's rotation again, the Warriors really are duty bound to find a win-win deal that could net them an upgrade of sorts, while also allowing the fourth-year wing an opportunity to thrive and play consistently.
Let's have a look at three trades that the Warriors could consider involving the former 14th overall pick: