Moses Moody signed a three-year contract extension this summer worth $37.5 million. The 22-year-old guard has been with the Golden State Warriors since they selected him with the 14th pick in the 2021 NBA draft. However, despite inking him to a new deal, Moody continues to be on the outskirts of Steve Kerr’s rotation. He’s averaging 15.9 minutes per game to begin the new season.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Moody is expected to become a potential trade chip for the Warriors as we get closer to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
“Conversely, the Warriors and guard Moses Moody agreed on a three-year, $39 million extension,” Scotto reported. “Since then, Moody has shot 39 percent from three-point range but has remained a rotation player for roughly 17 minutes. With Moody’s role remaining the same over the past few seasons and not increasing, executives across the league believe Moody is a name to monitor on the trade market with a moveable salary.”
Scotto also noted that one NBA executive expects Moody to be part of a bigger trade package. However, that would rest on whether the Warriors can find a star that’s available.
“Moody could be part of a package in a bigger deal, and Steve Kerr still doesn’t play him 20 minutes a game,” The executive told HoopsHype.
Moody has struggled to carve out a legitimate role with the Warriors throughout his tenure with the franchise. It may be beneficial for him if the front office decides to trade him before the trade deadline. However, as Moody’s extension was a rookie-scale extension, he will be tough for the Warriors to trade. The poison pill provision means that any player who signed a rookie-scale extension will have the average annual value of the first year of their extension count toward the receiving team’s cap sheet, while his outgoing salary will be what comes off the Warrior’s books.
Moving poison-pilled contracts isn’t impossible, but it does add a layer of difficulty. As such, Moody may be forced to wait until next summer before a potential trade becomes a reality.
