Hoops Rumors

Former first-round pick Moses Moody is making a strong case this month for a more consistent regular season role than the one he has played in his first three NBA seasons, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Moody has racked up 58 points in just 69 minutes of action across his last three preseason outings and knocked down five three-pointers in Tuesday’s victory over the Lakers.

“He’s playing great,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s gotten so much better in so many ways. We’ve always loved his character, his work ethic. This is the most confidence he’s played with. … There’s a reason we drafted him. Size, strength and ability to shoot the ball. I think he’s grown into his body. He looks stronger to me. When he’s putting the ball on the floor, people are bouncing off of him. He’s shooting much better off pindowns on the move. He’s put all the work in and he’s earned this.”

Although Kerr stated that he expects Moody to “play a big role for us,” he quickly added that there are many players on the roster who have shown they deserve regular minutes, suggesting that the Warriors still haven’t determined who will be the odd men out of the regular season rotation.

“We’re sitting in that coaches room every day saying: ‘How are we going to play all these guys?'” Kerr said. “Because they all deserve to play. I’ve asked all of them to play their hardest, make it difficult for us.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

• Moody’s representatives and the Warriors have discussed the framework of a possible multiyear rookie scale extension that would be near the “mid-level range,” sources tell Slater. As Slater observes, a deal in that neighborhood could look like a steal or an overpay a year from now, depending on whether or not Moody finds a firm foothold in Kerr’s rotation in 2024/25.
• Here’s what Kerr had to say about the extension talks the team is having with Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, according to Slater: “Both Moses and (Kuminga) are handling that stuff really well.They’re focused on playing. I’ve talked to them both about the extension stuff. They know that I understand their situations, having been there as a player. Every guy is facing a unique set of circumstances.” The rookie scale extension deadline is Monday. A player without a new deal in place by that evening will be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.
• Andrew Wiggins made his preseason debut on Tuesday and started at shooting guard, with Kuminga at the three. According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, a Wiggins/Stephen Curry backcourt is a possibility Kerr has considered for quite some time, and he liked the way Wiggins and Kuminga looked alongside one another on the wing against the Lakers. “The key is JK and Wiggs running the floor,” Kerr said. “It puts a lot of pressure on teams. And they set a good tone tonight, the way they just got downhill, with or without the ball, they were gone. I really like the way both of those guys played and the impact that they can make with their athleticism and force.”
• De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski are among the other candidates to start at the two alongside Curry, but neither player was active on Tuesday, with Melton battling some mid-back tightness and Podziemski waiting for a mask to arrive after breaking his nose on Sunday, Slater writes. However, neither issue is considered serious, according to Slater, who confirms that Podziemski plans to play through his broken nose once he gets his mask.