Warriors get potential steal in securing young wing to contract extension

The Golden State Warriors have got a major boost on the eve of the NBA season, with the franchise reaching an agreement on a contract extension with fourth-year wing Moses Moody.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Warriors have signed Moody to a three-year, $39 million extension that will kick in next season and removes the 22-year-old from restricted free agency next summer.

The Warriors have just got a potential steal in Moses Moody's new contract

The extension comes after an impressive preseason for Moody who led Golden State in scoring and strongly pushed his case for a more consistent role under head coach Steve Kerr. The 6'6" wing averaged 15.5 points on 45.6% shooting from the floor and 39.4% from three-point range, while also ranking fourth on the team in plus-minus.

Moody's role and future at the Warriors has been under constant speculation over recent seasons, having never been able to truly capture a solidified rotation position, often leading to mass frustration among the fanbase.

Moody averaged 8.1 points in 17.1 minutes per game last season, shooting 46.2% from the floor and 36% from three-point range. He's appeared in 181 games for Golden State since being selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Given his form throughout the preseason, getting Moody under contract for $13 million per year could prove a major steal for the Warriors. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic outlined earlier in the week, Moody could have easily bet on himself to have a breakout year which may have seen him garner upwards of $20+ million per year in free agency.

Instead, Moody has signed a deal that sits in a similar range to that of young role players who agreed to extensions last year. Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony got a three-year, $39 million contract as well, while Deni Avdija, Josh Green and Aaron Nesmith all got deals between $11-14 million per season.

Moody is only the fifth player from the 2021 Draft to sign a contract extension, with his deal coming after max contracts handed to Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wanger earlier in the offseason.

Golden State now have until 3PM PT on Monday to come to terms on a contract extension for fellow fourth-year lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga. That appears less likely to be forthcoming, with Charania reporting on Friday that both sides "are still far apart" in contract discussions.