It was a matter of mere weeks ago that Moses Moody was a bonafide starter for the Golden State Warriors, yet by the final game of the season the fourth-year wing became essentially the 13th man on the roster.
Moody's slide down the pecking order hit a new low on Wednesday night, with the Warriors eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals at Target Center.
With Stephen Curry on the sidelines due to his hamstring injury, Steve Kerr still went 11-deep in his rotation during the first-half of Game 5. Somehow that didn't include Moody, with the 22-year-old stapled to the bench as the likes of Pat Spencer, Quinten Post and Gui Santos all saw the floor ahead of him.
Is Moses Moody's career with the Warriors in jeopardy?
As he's generally done across his four-year career, Moody didn't let the latest benching impact his play when he was finally given the opportunity. In fact, he was a primary reason Golden State showed some signs of life early in the fourth-quarter, eventually finishing the period with 12 points, two rebounds, two steals and at least something positive to take from what was ultimately a bitterly disappointing playoff campaign for Moody.
The former 14th overall pick lost confidence in his shot over the last 15 games of the regular season, with that stemming into the postseason where Moody shot 35% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range.
It leaves the Warriors with an impossible decision -- do they trust in what Moody did for a period after the Butler trade where he was an integral part to a successful starting group, or were these playoffs a sign that he's nothing more than a bench rotation piece moving forward?
If it's the former, then Moody's three-year, $37.5 million contract that will kick in from next season is incredibly team-friendly and should be protected as such. That's not to say he wouldn't be traded, but it would take significant return given today's CBA and the tax aprons that make such a valuable contract so important.
However, if Golden State lean more into the postseason form, then Moody should absolutely be on the table in the search for a more proven and trusted playoff performer. His recent form wouldn't have done much to help his value on the trade market, but teams could certainly talk themselves into Moody on this new deal.
The future of fellow fourth-year lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga will garner much more discussion given his status as a restricted free agent, but Moody too is an interesting piece the Warriors may have to make a decision on this offseason.