Moses Moody Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Rumors: Poeltl, Richardson, McDermott, 15th Man, Wesley

December 7th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Center Jakob Poeltl is the player that the Spurs have gotten the most trade inquiries about, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, who repeats what he reported last month, writing that the team continues to seek two lightly protected first-round picks in any deal involving the big man.

The Raptors and Warriors are among the teams that have shown the most interest in Poeltl, sources tell Ellis. Toronto has thus far been unwilling to offer a package headlined by more than one moderately protected first-round pick, Ellis writes.

As for a potential fit with Golden State, Ellis hears that the Spurs aren’t especially interested in James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of a hypothetical Poeltl trade. According to Ellis, San Antonio likes Moses Moody the most out of the Warriors’ three young prospects, but would want more than just Moody for Poeltl. In other words, Golden State would likely have to be willing to part with future draft assets to have a chance to land the veteran center.

The Spurs’ other trade candidates include Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. Ellis says the club still wants a first-round pick in any deal involving Richardson, while McDermott will likely remain in San Antonio through the trade deadline unless a team offers a first-rounder for him.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Having recently signed Alize Johnson to a non-guaranteed contract to provide frontcourt depth following injuries to Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan, the Spurs will likely cut Johnson and sign a perimeter player once their regulars get healthy, sources tell Ellis. Bringing back Jordan Hall is one possibility, and San Antonio has also been doing its homework on former Jazz guard Jared Butler. One longer-shot candidate for that 15th roster spot, according to Ellis, is Isaiah Thomas, who could be a target if the front office feels as if the scoring burden on youngsters like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell is getting too heavy.
Richardson is expected to return to action on Thursday vs. Houston after missing six games due to a right ankle sprain, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. McDermott, out for two games with a sprained right ankle of his own, will also likely be back on Thursday, Orsborn adds (via Twitter).
Spurs rookie Blake Wesley, who is recovering from a torn MCL, still has no official timeline for a return, but the club is hoping he’ll be back later this month, according to Orsborn (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Paul, Moody, Poole, Boston Jr.

December 4th, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns guard Chris Paul has missed 13 consecutive games due to a heel injury but insists he’s close to returning, he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “It’s hard,” Paul said. “That’s my happy place is hooping, but I’ve sort of learned over the years that it’s a long game. Luckily we have enough depth on our team to where I shouldn’t be forced to come back until I’m ready.” Phoenix romped past San Antonio without Paul on Sunday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors reserve guard Moses Moody said it’s been a little more challenging getting spotty minutes during his second season, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. “Last year, everything was new and I wasn’t positive about how prepared I was…Now I feel moreso that I know I’m ready,” he said. Stephen Curry said Moody has taken a positive approach to his situation, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. “He comes with a great attitude just understanding the challenges of him getting in the rotation consistently and when it doesn’t happen, he stays positive, he stays engaged and then when he’s out there ready to go, he plays,” Curry said.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole isn’t sneaking up on anybody this season and Poole admits he’s adjusting to extra defensive attention, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “A lot of defenses are loaded, either sending a blitz and making me get off the ball or, it’s kind of like boxes and elbows,” said Poole, who signed a four-year extension prior to the season.
Guard Brandon Boston Jr. has posted back-to-back double-digit scoring outings for the Clippers as the 2021 second-rounder tries to establish himself in the league, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. “I want those guys (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George) back, but I feel that everybody should be ready to step up,” Boston said. “I want to show that I belong up here (in the NBA) with the regular team and contribute for the team to win.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Kuminga, Moody, Wiseman

December 1st, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been fined $25K for “directing obscene language toward a fan,” the NBA announced (via Twitter). The incident occurred at the beginning of the fourth quarter during Golden State’s loss to Dallas on Tuesday.

The four-time All-Star is averaging 9.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 7.1 APG and 1.0 SPG on .602/.320/.697 shooting through 20 games (30.7 MPG) for the defending champions. His percentage from the field (60.2%) is a career high.

Green can become a free agent in 2023 if he declines his $27.6MM player option for next season.

Here’s more on the 11-11 Warriors:

Second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga had a mini-breakout in Tuesday’s loss, playing 26 minutes and recording 14 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), 10 rebounds, two blocks and a team-high plus-21. Head coach Steve Kerr was extremely pleased with his effort, per Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “Best game I’ve ever seen JK play,” Kerr told reporters in Dallas, “because everything he did contributed towards making an impact on winning. His defense on Luka (Doncic) was fantastic, he was disciplined, he stayed down, he challenged shots. … He stayed patient offensively, he just took the shots that were there, he knocked down a big 3. JK was fantastic; he’s really coming into his own, and that’s very exciting.”
As Kawakami details, the reason Kuminga has seen minutes in recent games and Moses Moody and James Wiseman (currently in the G League) have not is because he’s learning that less is more when it comes to his role. He’s playing with energy, defending, moving the ball quickly, not trying to force shots, and has been a willing screener and cutter. Kawakami believes Moody will get another shot at rotation minutes at some point, but he needs to show that he can “make quick decisions, move the ball, defend without fouling and keep the mojo going” in order to regain Kerr’s trust.
It’s up to Wiseman to dominate in his G League stint to convince the Warriors that he should get another opportunity for playing time, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. His performances with Santa Cruz have been mixed thus far, according to Poole, who notes that Golden State’s second unit has stabilized with Green leading the charge alongside reserves Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Kuminga and occasionally JaMychal Green. How long Wiseman stays in the G League will be a good indicator of “how hot (his) competitive fire burns,” per Monte Poole.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Green, AD, Lakers, Clippers

November 24th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Mannix and Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated debate how long the Warriors should hold onto their young talent. Both writers believe that former lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have the potential to be quality players down the road, but none are contributing much right now, and the bench has been a disaster after letting several players walk in free agency.

Mannix and Beck are confident that Jordan Poole will turn things around after a slow start, but if the bench continues to struggle into 2023, they’d start seriously considering making changes. SI’s duo believe the front office owes it to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to maximize their chances of winning another title.

Here are a few more notes from the Pacific:

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently made an adjustment to the rotation that seems to have stabilized the non-Curry minutes, with Green and Andrew Wiggins playing alongside three reserves in Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Lamb. Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the potential impact of the switch. “What am I doing?” Green said. “Number one, just trying to slow the unit down. That unit should not play as fast as the first unit. It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. I think, for me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down and then, number two, most importantly, make sure that unit is defending.”
Anthony Davis has been absolutely dominant for the Lakers over the past four games, averaging 35.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.3 SPG and 2.5 BPG while shooting 62.3% from the floor and 92.0% from the charity stripe. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if Davis’ stellar two-way play will make the front office more willing to deal away the team’s two available future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) to build around the 29-year-old, since Goon thinks that’s a more compelling reason to go all-in when compared to giving LeBron James the best chance to reach the playoffs at the end of his career.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is preaching patience to reserves John Wall and Robert Covington, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall has been frustrated by having to sit out back-to-backs because he feels fully healthy, but Lue noted that the veteran sat out all of last season, so the team is being cautious. As for Covington, he’s averaging his fewest minutes (13.8) since his rookie season back in ’13/14. “It’s a long season and we have so much talent and so much depth that I know it’s going to be times when people going to play and some people not,” Covington said. “I knew what was coming and knew what to expect at times. I’m not the type of person that’s going to complain about too much, I’m going to sit up there and call and be there ready when my number’s called.”
Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) have been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the Nuggets, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There’s no timetable for either player to return.

Multi-Team Deal Possible For Jae Crowder

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams have expressed interest in Suns forward Jae Crowder and there’s speculation that a trade could get done soon, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Crowder, who had been a starter during his first two years in Phoenix, is working out on his own while he waits for a deal to be completed.

The Bucks, Hawks and Warriors are among the most prominent suitors for Crowder, sources tell Pincus, and an unidentified executive believes the final version of the deal could include as many as five teams.

Pincus hears that Milwaukee has offered Grayson Allen for Crowder, while Atlanta is willing to part with some combination of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Holiday and John Collins. The Suns don’t have any immediate interest in either of those offers, Pincus adds.

As reported earlier today by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Rockets could play an important role in a multi-team deal. Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports stated last week that Phoenix had interest in Kenyon Martin Jr., and Pincus speculates that veteran guard Eric Gordon could also be included in a trade that sends Crowder and Dario Saric to another team. Pincus hears that Houston would want “real value” to get involved, whether it’s in the form of young talent or draft assets.

The Warriors could be a team to watch in the Crowder sweepstakes if they’ve become more willing to unload some of their young players after an 8-10 start, Pincus writes. Golden State’s defense has regressed after losing Gary Payton II and Otto Porter in free agency, and Crowder is the type of multi-positional defender who could fix those issues.

The Warriors also need help with rebounding after falling from seventh to 25th in the league in that category, and rival executives expect them to target another big man as well as a defensive wing. Pincus cites Myles Turner and Jakob Poeltl as possibilities, though the Pacers may decide to keep Turner after their strong start. The Spurs are limited to less than $13MM as the starting point for an extension offer to Poeltl, and the team may be inclined to trade him rather than risk losing him in free agency.

Golden State would have to send out nearly $16MM in salary to acquire both Crowder and Poeltl, but it’s limited in what it can offer until Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney become trade-eligible later this season.

Pincus offers a sample trade in which send the Warriors send James Wiseman and Ryan Rollins to the Spurs, while the Rockets get Jonathan Kuminga from Golden State and Saric from Phoenix. Another Pincus suggestion has the Warriors keeping Kuminga while shipping Moses Moody and either Patrick Baldwin or Rollins to the Rockets, while San Antonio gets Baldwin or Rollins along with Wiseman.

Warriors Notes: Young Players, J. Green, DiVincenzo, Thompson

November 14th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors‘ two-timeline plan of mixing young players with their established stars isn’t working, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. The latest example came Sunday against the Kings when coach Steve Kerr had to pull his reserves midway through the fourth quarter and reinsert Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

“We’re not a team right now where we can afford to let guys make mistakes,” Kerr said after the loss, which dropped Golden State to 0-7 on the road. “We’re not good enough to withstand a lot of mistakes.”

Third-year center James Wiseman, whom the Warriors valued highly enough to take with the second pick in the 2020 draft, has already fallen out of the rotation. Moses Moody hasn’t played at all the past two games, and his fellow 2021 lottery pick, Jonathan Kuminga, is seeing minimal time, usually early in the game. Even Jordan Poole, who received a lucrative long-term contract extension last month, sat out nearly the entire fourth quarter against Sacramento.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Another problem for Golden State is that offseason additions JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo haven’t replaced the production lost when Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II and Nemanja Bjelica all departed, Thompson adds. Green has lost his rotation spot, while DiVincenzo is coming off an injury and hasn’t been as productive as the front office was hoping. Thompson notes that Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson would both be seeing regular playing time if they hadn’t also left in free agency.
Draymond Green believes the Warriors are still adjusting to their reserves (video link from Anthony Slater of The Athletic). The second unit used to present opponents with a different look on offense, Green said, but now the first man off the bench is usually Poole, who is similar to Stephen Curry in his style of play.
Klay Thompson has been struggling with his shot so far, but he promises things are going to change, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. After Sunday’s loss, Thompson posted a message on Instagram that read, “My belief is stronger than your doubt. I PROMISE you it’s coming. And when it does, the floodgates will open.” His shooting percentage currently sits at a career-low 35.1%.

Pacific Notes: Kawhi, Crowder, Poole, Thompson, Warriors

November 11th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who has been out of action since October 23 due to right knee soreness, took part in a five-on-five workout on Friday for the first time since he has been sidelined, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard won’t be available on Saturday when the Clippers host the Nets, but head coach Tyronn Lue said he is encouraged by the forward’s progress.

“The first time he was able to get on the floor and play five-on-five and he looked pretty good,” Lue said. “Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing five-on-five.”

As Youngmisuk relays, Lue said that Leonard will need a “few more (workout) opportunities” before the team is comfortable clearing him. The Clippers’ head coach also said he’s not sure whether the former NBA Finals MVP will continue to come off the bench when he returns, like he did in his first two games of the season.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Since Cameron Johnson went down with his knee injury, the Suns have made an effort to reopen some old Jae Crowder trade talks, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated in the most recent episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). Like Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Windhorst and his ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps have both heard that there’s no indication the Suns and Crowder will mend fences and have the veteran forward report to the team.
Moving Jordan Poole into the starting lineup in place of Klay Thompson isn’t something the Warriors will consider to jump-start their struggling bench, head coach Steve Kerr said during an appearance on Damon & Ratto on 95.7 The Game (YouTube link). “No, that’s not something I’ve given any thought to,” Kerr said. “Jordan and Klay are very different players. Jordan’s more on the ball, Klay’s off the ball. … Klay is a starter. That five-man (starting) unit is the very best unit in the league.”
While it’s a good thing that Warriors two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome can be counted on to play regular roles, it’s not a great sign that they’ve already earned more trust from Kerr than the team’s young prospects, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, who considers whether Golden State’s plan to develop three youngsters (James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga) while trying to contend is flawed.

Warriors Notes: Myers, Trade Market, Green, Wiseman

November 9th, 2022 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic about the Warriors‘ underwhelming 4-7 start to the season, head of basketball operations Bob Myers repeatedly stated that he’s not worried about the team’s ability to turn things around and dismissed the idea that Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during a training camp practice has messed up the club’s chemistry.

“I don’t think anybody’s playing at their best, maybe besides (Stephen) Curry,” Myers said. “Draymond’s been pretty good. But everybody else has a lot more upside than they’ve shown, whether it’s the bench or Poole or obviously Klay (Thompson)‘s going to be better. So there’s that part. And there’s the combinations of the bench and kind of revitalizing the energy to get back on track. (Monday) was the beginning of it, and hopefully, we can continue. But yeah, rough start for sure. Sometimes it’s tough to get out of those.”

Asked about James Wiseman‘s early struggles and the fact that the Warriors’ two-way players are seeing more action than former lottery picks like Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga, Myers stressed that it’s a “really long season” and that the rotations now won’t necessarily look like the ones the club is using in a few months or even a few weeks. He also spoke specifically about why he’s not concerned about Wiseman.

“I would say that James needs to play. And (head coach) Steve (Kerr)‘s trying to figure out how to do that,” Myers said. “We’ve seen the growth over the last few months, preseason, start of the season, then he hit a little rut the last few games. But we’re not ready to get super-concerned. We just think he needs to play. Steve believes in him; we believe in him.

“… I think a lot of people want to rush it. I’m sure James wants to rush it. We all want it to happen right away. But he has the talent, he has the desire, he has the work ethic. He’s a good kid. I would be more concerned if I thought he wasn’t putting in the work outside of the games. But he is. And he cares. And it’s just going to have to run its course.”

Here’s more on the defending champions:

Within a look at Golden State’s slow start, Tim Bontemps of ESPN wonders if the team might ultimately pivot to the trade market at some point in an effort to upgrade its bench. However, Bontemps admits it’s hard to envision the Warriors moving away from young players like Wiseman, Moody, and Kuminga this season, given how much time and energy they’ve spent developing them.
For what it’s worth, Myers was asked about possible trades during his conversation with Kawakami and said the Warriors are “always open to anything,” but that there’s no urgency to make any roster changes. “We’re not going to overreact to this start,” Myers said. “We’re going to see how we move through it. But we view ourselves as contenders. There’s no secret there. And we’ll look at the roster as we move ahead. But at this point, it’s way too early to kind of make any proclamations about what we’re going to do.”
After JaMychal Green and Wiseman were DNP-CDs in Monday’s victory over Sacramento, Kerr said both players will get the opportunity to work their way back into the rotation, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. However, for now, Kerr intends to lean on smaller lineups, with Draymond Green and Kuminga serving as backup centers for Kevon Looney.
Curry, who practically single-handedly led the Warriors to Monday’s win with 47 points, said he’s prepared for some ups and downs this season as the team gets its young prospects the necessary reps. “We have to understand that (the young players) are all going to get an opportunity to perform, and there are going to be some struggles — some real high highs, and some real low lows,” Curry said, according to Andrews. “That’s the story of this team. As vets, you understand every year is a little different and you are ready for that challenge. For these young guys to try to find themselves in this league and also a specific role, it’s challenging.”

Warriors Notes: Poole, Kuminga, Rotation, Thompson, Santos

November 5th, 2022 at 4:28pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors need Jordan Poole to play better after a “wildly inconsistent” start to the 2022/23 campaign, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. As Monte Poole notes, Jordan has recorded more turnovers (14) than assists (13) over the past three games during Golden State’s current five-game losing streak.

“He’s trying too hard,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Jordan is trying too hard to create every play. He’s at his best when there’s a flow to the game, he’s playing on and off the ball, getting some catch-and-shoot opportunities.”

According to Monte Poole, Jordan Poole is the key to fixing the second unit’s struggles, because he’s the group’s primary ball-handler and scorer.

Here’s more on the defending champions:

After losing to the Pelicans Friday night, the Warriors now sit with a 3-7 record. They’re the first defending champion to start 0-6 on the road in NBA history, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. Second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga played a career-high 38 minutes in the loss, and Kerr acknowledged his performance after the game. “It was apparent who really played tonight. [Kuminga] played really well,” Kerr said. “He’s earned some minutes … He showed tonight that he’s ready to step into the rotation and contribute. But that has to be every night … be able to play through the tough nights when maybe the minutes aren’t there.”
As Andrews relays in the same article, Kerr also marked Anthony Lamb, Ty Jerome and Moses Moody as noteworthy performers who could be in line for more rotation minutes. Lamb and Jerome are both on two-way contracts, while Moody was the 14th pick of last year’s draft.
On October 30, Kerr stated that Klay Thompson would be held out of one end of back-to-backs as he works on his conditioning, but it wouldn’t be for the full season like in ’21/22. However, apparently he’s changed his mind about that. “Klay may not play in a back-to-back all year. He didn’t last year because of two straight season-ending injuries,” Kerr said, per Andrews (Twitter link).
Gui Santos, a second-round pick in June’s draft (55th overall), is on the Santa Cruz Warriors’ roster to start the G League season, which means he signed an NBAGL contract. It’s essentially as though he’s a draft-and-stash prospect because the Warriors still hold his NBA rights, but having him play in the G league allows the Warriors to get a closer look at — and have a more hands-on approach to — the Brazilian forward’s development.

Warriors Exercise 2023/24 Options On Wiseman, Kuminga, Moody

October 31st, 2022 at 2:50pm CST by Rory Maher

2:50pm: The options have been officially picked up, the Warriors announced (via Twitter).

12:29pm: The Warriors are exercising their 2023/24 rookie scale options on center James Wiseman, forward Jonathan Kuminga and wing Moses Moody, sources tell ESPN’s Kendra Andrews (Twitter link).

All three players will have their contracts for next season fully guaranteed. Wiseman will earn $12,119,440 in year four, while Kuminga and Moody are set to make $6,012,840 and $3,918,480, respectively, in year three.

Wiseman, the second pick of the 2020 draft, has been limited to 46 career games due to a series of knee injuries and setbacks, but he’s back and healthy again to start the ’22/23 season, averaging 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds through seven games (14.6 minutes per contest). The 21-year-old will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer after having his fourth-year option picked up.

Following a promising rookie year that saw him average 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 70 games (16.9 minutes), Kuminga has struggled to gain traction early in his second season, averaging just 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in six games (10.8 minutes). Still, the seventh pick of last year’s draft just turned 20 years old earlier this month, so he has a lot of time to improve.

Moody played less as a rookie compared to Kuminga last season, appearing in 52 regular season games (11.7 minutes), but he’s playing more in year two, averaging 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 36% from deep through seven games (17.0 minutes). Moody was the 14th pick in 2021.

Today is the deadline for teams to exercise ’23/24 rookie scale team options. As our tracker shows, the defending champions were the last team with decisions to make.