The Golden State Warriors were encouraged by nearly every member of the media and fake trade outlet to move on from Moses Moody to land a different type of player. The Warriors held firm, and now they have a breakout starter on the wing to help them both now and later.
The sheer volume of fake trades involving Moses Moody was impressive. Including him in a deal for Paul George (dodged a bullet there) or Lauri Markkanen made sense. Bringing Kevin Durant back to The Bay? Some logic there. Trading for star players means giving up good young players; it's part of the process.
Some of the options were insane, however. Prior to the 2024-25 season, a prominent mock trade saw the Warriors trading Moses Moody to the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown. Bruce Brown! Who had one good season for the Nuggets and has devolved into a minimum player over the last few seasons. Another trade by Bleacher Report sent Moody to the Indiana Pacers for Isaiah Jackson and a couple of seconds.
This past summer, after Moody had a solid fourth season last year, was not much better. One trade idea that got real traction involved trading Moody to the Brooklyn Nets for Michael Porter Jr. Another packaged him with draft picks for Herb Jones, who is a better defender and a much worse shooter.
Yet the Warriors stood firm, and as a result they are reaping the rewards as Moody takes yet another step forward to be the exact player this franchise needed on the wing.
The Warriors are vindicated for keeping Moses Moody
Moody has improved across the board for the Warriors this season. His minutes are up as he has without question locked down a rotation spot, and he is a part of the starting lineup that has found the most success for Steve Kerr thus far.
He has increased his 3-point attempts to 6.2 per game, a solid number for a wing, and is hitting 39.2 percent of them, both career-high numbers. He is more active on the glass, is already more than halfway to his block total from last season, and is operating as the connective piece the Warriors need.
He may not be an elite wing defender, but he is perfectly solid on that end of the court, part of the Warriors' Top-5 defensive unit. His length and strength together make him a key piece, especially in defending opposing point guards for Stephen Curry.
It is true that Moody has not grasped that small piece of upside that existed when he was drafted to become a star, but what he has done instead is found a pathway to becoming a necessary role player and starred in that role. He may not have the 3-point volume of Klay Thompson, but he is able to fill a lot of the same role as Klay in a way that Buddy Hield cannot with his defensive deficiencies.
Could Moody still be included in a trade? It is absolutely possible, especially if someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes truly available. At the same time, however, he is the exact sort of player the Warriors would want to slot in around other stars.
The Dubs could have dumped Moody in a whatever trade for a whatever player. They could also have used him as matching salary for a good player. In waiting, however, they have kept their powder dry and now have a surefire starting wing on their hands.
It's the ultimate vindication.