Up until Moses Moody suffered a devastating torn patellar tendon against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, there was still a little room to have hope for the Golden State Warriors' season.
At the very least, fans could look ahead to the offseason with optimism. In an ideal world, the team would be able to re-shape their roster with eyes on championship contention for 2026-27. Now, with Moody's injury suffered so late in the campaign, things seem more dire than ever have before.
Jimmy Butler, who tore his ACL in January, likely will not be ready for the start of next regular season. Neither will Moody. Al Horford, who has a player option this offseason, is as good as gone if he thinks the team cannot truly compete for a championship as constructed.
The Warriors will have a hard time convincing veteran talent to sign, let alone fielding a roster that is capable of competing with the top teams in the Western Conference. Under normal circumstances, all signs would point to a rebuild.
But with Stephen Curry still on the team, Golden State cannot afford to be non-competitive. Moody's injury, however, may be the final straw. The writing is on the wall for the Warriors, and it would represent a truly disappointing conclusion to Curry's career.
Stephen Curry deserves better, but the Warriors must now face an impossible task
Curry, when he's healthy, is still at the height of his powers. Through the 39 games he's played this season, he's averaging 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while knocking down 39.1% of his attempts from 3-point range. Without the 65-game threshold, he would almost certainly be an All-NBA selection.
This is not the time or place to issue an indictment on how Golden State has drafted and developed their young talent over the past few seasons. That topic has been discussed ad nauseam
Golden State won a championship in 2022. It was always wishful thinking that we would see them reach those heights again before the end of Curry's career. But that reality feels more distant than ever at the moment.
Even if they earn a high draft pick (and hit on that selection), their veteran core is so injury-prone at this point in their careers that one small mishap can tank an entire season. Although De'Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, and Brandin Podziemski have each shown promising developments this season, they need a more complete array of talent if they want to continue to compete.
Curry has just one year left under contract. The brutal truth is that the Warriors may not be able to provide this before the end of his career. There may be a desperation move, such as a Butler trade, in order.
But Golden State is yet again caught in a conundrum because of Curry's commitment to the team. The time for a rebuild is approaching, but Curry's presence prevents that from being a serious option.
Moody's injury is just another painful reminder of that fact.