From bonafide starter to out of the rotation -- it was quite the downfall for Moses Moody throughout a Golden State Warriors' playoff run that was ultimately ended by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second-round.
The nature of the deteriorating form and role wasn't only disappointing for Moody, but now makes the young wing a potential trade candidate this offseason as the Warriors look to upgrade the roster around the veteran core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Steve Kerr's comments should quieten speculation on Moses Moody's future
Moody is set to begin the three-year, $37.5 million contract extension he signed prior to this season, meaning any mid-tier or larger scale trade may have to include the $11.6 million he'll make next season. Who knows, perhaps Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State front office may actively shop Moody's contract on the market to see what they could get in return.
That idea certainly didn't emanate from Steve Kerr's latest comments though, with the head coach telling The TK Show with Tim Kawakami that he's thrilled about the extension as Moody enters his fifth year in the league.
“I'm thrilled that, you know, we got the contract extension done back in October. He's locked in for the next three years and had a really good year," Kerr said of the former 14th overall pick.
Kerr also added that Moody did a great job taking on a similar role to the departed Andrew Wiggins following the Butler trade, with the 22-year-old starting 31-straight games in which the Warriors won 23.
But so what? What else is Kerr going to say about one of his young players? Well, his sentiments on Moody were far more positive than that of fellow fourth-year lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga who's about to hit restricted free agency.
Kerr labeled Kuminga a "ball dominant player" and admitted that the fit with Kuminga and the current roster was a tricky one, while also suggesting the young forward could look to emulate Aaron Gordon or Shawn Marion rather than focus on being a star-level scorer.
Kerr's comments perhaps only increased the possibility of player and franchise parting ways this offseason, with reports that Golden State and Kuminga's camp will explore sign-and-trade scenarios in the coming weeks.
In contrast, there was nothing from Kerr to suggest that the Warriors don't see Moody as a long-term piece of the franchise. That can always shift rather quickly, but it should at least halt speculation a little on the idea of Moody as a trade candidate.