Moses Moody's future has again become a talking point following reports over recent weeks that the Golden State Warriors had centered their trade offer for Lauri Markkanen around the young wing and future draft capital.
As part of The Athletic's report on Tuesday, the Warriors could look to explore smaller-scale deals over the remainder of the offseason. Perhaps Moody may remain a central trade candidate for the Warriors over the next couple of months, though the franchise could also move to resolve any uncertainty by signing the 22-year-old to an extension.
The Golden State Warriors could get a major steal if they manage to agree on a contract extension with Moses Moody
Both Moody and fellow 2021 lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga are extension eligible heading into their fourth season, with General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. confirming in early July that Golden State would like to get new deals done for both.
Moody's inclusion in the Markkanen offer suggests the franchise were and are more than willing to consider a future without the 22-year-old, leading to genuine intrigue on how that may impact contract negotiations.
According to ESPN's Kendra Andrews on Wednesday, "Moody's deal could range from $11-13 million per season." That sort of contract could be a steal for the Warriors, particularly if it's a multi-year deal where they secure the former 14th overall pick for less than $40 million over three years, or less than $50 million over four.
That sort of contract offer could provide a serious dilemma for Moody and his management. While it's a significant, life-altering amount of money, betting on himself to finally earn a consistent role could yield a far greater deal as a restricted free agent next offseason.
Josh Green, Cole Anthony and Aaron Nesmith all signed three-year deals ranging between $33-41 million last offseason, with Moody certainly worthy of being around that price range. The young wing could be most compared to Nesmith as a similar type of player who was also the 14th pick his draft class a year before Moody.
The per 36 statistics were very comparable in their third seasons, with Nesmith shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc while Moody drilled 36%. Nesmith had a big fourth year after signing the contract, even earning Most Improved Player votes last season that now sees the deal as a very team-friendly one for the Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors may be hoping that a similar outcome with Moody takes place, though that's reliant on him agreeing to those terms and for Steve Kerr to show greater trust in delivering more playing time next season.