Moses Moody has found himself embroiled in the Jonathan Kuminga free agency saga, with the Golden State Warriors likely needing to sacrifice he or Buddy Hield if they want to take back a significant contract in a sign-and-trade.
The Warriors clearly don't want to do that right now, but perhaps they could be convinced if the Sacramento Kings or a third team were to add significant draft capital to their current offer.
Golden State could also be further incentivized by what's remaining on the free agency market, with the perfect Moody replacement still available despite what was a career-best season.
Amir Coffey could be a viable replacement for Moses Moody
Amir Coffey's free agency status has slipped under the radar heading into August, with Kuminga and the likes of Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons claiming most of the current headlines among league circles.
Coffey is coming off an excellent season with the L.A. Clippers, averaging a career-high 24.3 minutes in 72 games which included 13 starts. A 6'7" wing in the same mould as Moody, Coffey's numbers from last season were eerily similar to Golden State's former 14th overall pick.
Moody averaged 9.8 points to Coffey's 9.7, but the latter shot a better percentage from the field and 3-point range (47/41 splits compared to 43/37). Moody just shaded Coffey in rebounds and assists, while his slightly inferior perimeter shooting is more than made up for in greater defensive ability.
Moody averaged higher steals, blocks and two deflections per game more than Coffey, while being five years younger also gives him an added layer of potential improvement that the Warriors started to see before an untimely thumb injury ruined his shooting numbers and subsequent impact towards the end of the season.
Still, those numbers suggest that Coffey on a minimum contract could be a viable insurance plan in the event that Golden State find enough value to relinquish not one but both of their 2021 lottery picks.
Golden State are still motivated to re-sign Kuminga themselves and have him return to start next season, let alone even consider moving one of Moody or Hield to facilitate a sign-and-trade involving the young forward.
Yet there's very little that shouldn't be at least explored when it comes to this Kuminga situation, and it's not as if Moody is completely off-limits in trade discussions. The Warriors will hold the 23-year-old in high value, but Coffey could be waiting in the wings if they do decide to make the shock decision to trade Moody.