Moses Moody has embodied resilience, hard work, and unselfishness throughout his five seasons with the Golden State Warriors. Now, the franchise is benefiting from a sudden surge from the 23-year-old in January, potentially helping the equation heading into next week's trade deadline.
Moody's career began on a very high note, winning the 2022 NBA championship, though he played a limited role, averaging just over eight minutes per game during the playoff run.
Following the title, Moody settled into a bench role, providing shooting and some size in the backcourt. But the real leap came during the 2024–25 season. Up to that point, he had mostly come off the bench, tallying just 24 starts from his rookie season through 2023–24.
Despite uneven production entering his fourth year in the league, the Warriors rewarded him with a three-year, roughly $39 million rookie contract extension, keeping him under team control through the 2027–28 season.
Warriors are benefiting from Moses Moody leap at the right time
During the 2024–25 season, Moody earned a spot in the starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green. He started 34 games, averaging 11 points and just over three rebounds per game on 44.9% from the field and 39.4% from distance.
Despite a 25-point performance in the first round of the playoffs against Houston, shooting inconsistencies ultimately cost him his place in the starting five, drastically diminishing his role in the second round against Minnesota
After a minor calf strain sidelined him for the first two games of the 2025–26 season, Moody did Moody things. Over his first seven appearances, he flashed his scoring upside with 20-, 24-, and 28-point outings, but also mixed in several quiet nights -- scoring just seven, nine and three points, and going scoreless once.
After struggling to find an identity, Steve Kerr opted to pull both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski from the lineup, inserting Moses Moody alongside rookie Will Richard. From his first start on Nov. 12 against the San Antonio Spurs through Jan. 11, Moody averaged a modest 9.7 points per game while shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from three, once again reflecting his uneven play. He did have a 32-point outburst against the New Orleans Pelicans during that span, but failed to build on it.
Then, something simply clicked on Jan. 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers. From that point on, Moody has averaged over 15 points per game in 25 minutes, doing so on far better efficiency — shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 53.2 percent from beyond the arc, highlighted by a 21-point outing on 7-of-9 shooting from three against the New York Knicks.
With Jimmy Butler going down for the season on Jan. 19 against the Miami Heat, Moody was compelled to take on more of the offensive burden, and so far, so good for the fifth-year swingman.
On Wednesday night, Moody delivered an efficient 26-point performance in a 140–124 win over the Utah Jazz, knocking down five threes on nine attempts while adding five rebounds and two steals. Since his breakout on Jan. 13, Moody has hit the third-most three-pointers in the NBA over that span (33), trailing only Sam Hauser (34) and Luka Dončić (36).
Ranking that high while attempting more than three fewer threes per game than Dončić — and two fewer than Hauser — is impressive. His 6.9 attempts per game are tied for the fewest among the top 16 players in made threes during that stretch, alongside Kevin Durant.
Why Moody’s growth changes the equation
Moody’s future with the franchise remains unclear, as he could end up playing an important role in a blockbuster trade that would bring Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Bay. While such a deal should be taken with a grain of salt for now, the way Moody is performing works in Golden State’s favor in multiple ways.
If a trade were to materialize before the deadline or in the offseason, Moody’s rising value could help facilitate a deal. On the other hand, if the Warriors stand pat, Moody would emerge as a key piece of the post-Stephen Curry era, alongside Brandin Podziemski, Quinten Post, Will Richard, Gui Santos, and potentially Jonathan Kuminga, should he stay in Golden State.