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Moody's contract extension a huge win for Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors agreeing to a three-year, $39 million contract extension with Moses Moody on Sunday night, per Klutch Sports CEO, Rich Paul, is a win for Golden State going into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Moody bringing in $39 million, all guaranteed, of course, is a win as well for the 22-year-old. The agreement ahead of Monday’s deadline for rookie contract extensions theoretically shows a willingness of the Warriors to invest in the No. 14 overall pick in the 2021 draft after three years of being in and out of the rotation. But Moody also just committed to the Warriors before coach Steve Kerr can really say the same.

Moody from his rookie year to the end of his recent impressive preseason has been lauded for his maturity. His work ethic has never been questioned. When he has been given opportunities, good things usually happen for the Warriors.

Yet as Moody capped what was the best overall preseason of any Warrior this year, he also was the 11th player to see the floor for them Friday in a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a game where Golden State was without Steph Curry.

“We have a whole roster full of guys who are capable of being in the rotation,” Kerr said after the win when asked about Moody’s standing. “I have some really difficult decisions to make Wednesday night in Portland. … There’s going to be, no matter how you slice it, we’re going to have to leave some good players out of the rotation.”

Kerr’s starting lineup in the Warriors’ preseason finale consisted of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis, with newcomer De’Anthony Melton playing in place of Curry, who missed the game with a sprained right index finger. Reigning All-Rookie First-Team selection Brandin Podziemski was the first player off the bench, followed by offseason addition Buddy Hield and defensive stalwart Gary Payton II, before Kyle Anderson – another offseason signing – and veteran Kevon Looney entered the game.

A total of 10 players saw action in the first quarter. Moody wasn’t one of them. He started the second quarter and was a plus-5 in just under seven minutes during the quarter with four points and two rebounds. Moody in 18 minutes off the bench scored 14 points.

Though he missed all three of his 3-point attempts, Moody was 5 of 6 on 2-pointers and a perfect 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

Through the first three years of his career, Moody has averaged 5.9 points per game on 46-percent shooting and 36.2 percent from three, playing 14.3 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 8.1 points per game last season. Then this preseason after being pushed to make quicker decisions with a quicker shot and more confidence from long distance, Moody averaged a team-high 15.5 points per game, while playing just over 20 minutes per game. He shot 39.4 percent on 3-pointers, and his 93 total points were second in the entire NBA.

The contract Moody agreed to is the same years and total dollars that Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony, the No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft, agreed to last offseason. Anthony had better counting stats than Moody through each player’s first three seasons, but Moody also played 2,304 fewer minutes than Anthony in his first three years with the Warriors, despite appearing in nine more games than him.

Josh Green, the No. 18 pick in the 2020 draft, is a better comparison to Moody. The Dallas Mavericks last offseason signed Green to a three-year, $41 million deal. Both seen as a 3-and-D type of players, Green’s 5.8 points per game on 36.8 percent from three in his first three seasons are comparable to Moody’s, while playing four more minutes than him per game. Moody’s 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per 36 minutes top Green’s 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per 36 minutes before inking his deal last October.

In the two games Moody started this preseason, he averaged 18.5 points on 44.4-percent shooting (12 of 27) and 36.4 percent from three – also going 9 of 10 at the free-throw line. He’s built to fit the type of team the Warriors want to be, putting defense first and 3-pointers second. Locking in Moody for four more seasons, including the final of year of his rookie contract this season, is a win on and off the court.

A pillar of the community, Moody won the “Emerging Leader Award” from the Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area on Oct. 16 after an offseason of giving back. Moody has paid his dues, and has shown the past three weeks he’s ready for a larger role from Kerr. In return, the Warriors paid him life-changing money that easily can become a very team-friendly contract in the short and long term.

James Wiseman now is on his third team, the Indiana Pacers, still hoping to find his footing in the NBA. Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin are wearing Washington Wizards jerseys. The Warriors need a first-round pick to stick, and Moody is their latest case study. Jonathan Kuminga, taken seven picks ahead of Moody by the Warriors in the same draft, has not come to terms to a deal ahead of Monday’s deadline at the time of this publishing.

“Trust my agent, trust the people I pay to focus on that and get the best out of that situation. I can do what I can, which is play basketball,” Moody said last week when asked about his contract extension. “That’s what I’ve been up to.”

His play did all the talking, and Moody’s people handled their business. Days before the regular-season opener for Moody’s fourth pro season, the Warriors already have their first win after an undefeated 6-0 preseason.

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