Moses Moody Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Warriors Rumors: Poole, Green, Klay, Wiggins, Moody, More

October 14th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

If the Warriors want to sign Jordan Poole to a rookie scale extension before the October 17 deadline, it will likely require a baseline offer of $120MM over four years, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who said during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that Tyler Herro‘s deal with Miami raised the bar for Golden State and Poole.

Slater, who believes the two sides will get something done in the coming days, suggests that the incident with Draymond Green last week might’ve create some additional urgency on the Warriors’ side, since they won’t want Poole’s contract situation hanging over his head all year after what happened with Green.

Slater also observes that there are some teams who project to have cap room next year that could realistically offer Poole a maximum-salary offer sheet. In Slater’s view, the Magic and Spurs are among the rebuilding teams who could use a backcourt scorer like Poole and would have the financial flexibility to make life difficult for the Warriors if the 23-year-old makes it to restricted free agency.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors appear to be in “wait-and-see” mode on potential extensions for Green and Klay Thompson, says Slater. There’s no real urgency on the Thompson front because he’s under contract for two more guaranteed seasons. Green can become a free agent next summer, but the Warriors will likely want to see how this season plays out to get a sense of how he regains the team’s trust, what his market will be like, and whether he’ll be able to top his $27.6MM player option.
Andrew Wiggins is also extension-eligible, and Slater believes the Warriors would be interested in exploring a new deal if the former No. 1 pick is willing to take a slight pay cut (perhaps from his current $33.6MM into the 20s). But it’s unclear whether Wiggins would consider that as he comes off his best NBA season.
Slater believes Moses Moody is a better bet than Jonathan Kuminga or Patrick Baldwin Jr. to step into a rotation role immediately this season, since he’s a good fit for a three-and-D spot. While the Warriors like Baldwin’s long-term potential, Slater expects him to spend a lot of time in the G League as a rookie.
The Warriors allowed their veterans to take on a major role in the handling of the Green/Poole altercation last week, according to Slater, who points to Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala as players who were very involved. “The players are of the belief that it’s better for the team to bring Draymond back in now,” Slater said.

Western Notes: Edwards, White, Thunder, Brown, Moody

September 11th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards could face a fine or suspension for making homophobic comments in an Instagram video, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune writes. Edwards has since apologized for his remark on social media.

“What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry,” Edwards wrote (Twitter link). “It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!”

As Hine notes, Edwards used the word “queer” when describing someone in a derogatory way. The video has since been deleted. Multiple players, including Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic, have faced fines for making homophobic remarks off the court in recent years.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

The Thunder have hired former player DJ White as a video analyst, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). White is the fifth former Thunder player who is now working in the organization. He played 42 games with the team from 2008-11.
James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com examines whether head coach Mike Brown can fix the Kings’ defensive woes. Sacramento had the fourth-worst defensive rating last season, finishing with just a 30-52 record. Brown was hired as head coach of the team in May.
C.J. Holmes of the San Francisco Chronicle explores why Warriors guard Moses Moody will face high expectations this season. Moody, 20, was drafted No. 14 overall by the team in 2021. He appeared in 52 games last season, averaging 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per contest. He also averaged 31.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in four G League outings.

Warriors Notes: Poole, Moody, DiVincenzo, Curry

August 31st, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will either have to reach a rookie scale extension with Jordan Poole by October 17 or deal with him as a restricted free agent next summer. Either way, new contracts around the league are already setting his market value, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Anfernee Simons and Jalen Brunson, two guards with credentials similar to Poole, signed new free agent deals in excess of $100MM this summer. On Monday, RJ Barrett, who was part of Poole’s draft class, reached an extension agreement with the Knicks that could pay him up to $120MM over the next four years.

While those three players are accomplished, none has a playoff resume that can compare to Poole’s. At age 22, he was Golden State’s second-best offensive player on the way to an NBA title. He also showed that he can be a primary scorer if needed, averaging 26.0 points over 13 games late in the regular season while Stephen Curry was sidelined by a foot injury.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Moses Moody saw limited playing time as a rookie, but he projects to have a much bigger role during the upcoming season, according to C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Moody is expected to take over some of the minutes that formerly belonged to Gary Payton II, who signed with the Trail Blazers in July. “I’m telling you, he’s going to fill the stat sheet up,” an unidentified staffer said of Moody. “He’s just going to continue to get better and make plays.”
The Warriors believe free agent addition Donte DiVincenzo‘s intelligence and toughness make him a perfect fit for their system, Holmes adds in the same piece. The coaching staff and front office have been impressed with DiVincenzo this summer, even though they’ve only seen him in individual workouts.
Curry returned Wednesday to Davidson College, where he was inducted into the school’s hall of fame, had his number retired and received his diploma, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “This is an absolutely amazing day and an amazing moment for myself and my family,” said Curry, who completed his degree in May.

Steve Kerr Happy With Warriors’ Offseason Moves

August 2nd, 2022 at 2:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two weeks after winning the NBA title, the Warriors were faced with decisions on how to replace three important members of the championship roster. With Gary Payton II, Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica leaving in free agency, the team targeted Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green to take their place. In an interview with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, coach Steve Kerr said both players are ideal matches for Golden State’s style.

“Donte is a perfect fit for the way we play,” Kerr said of the former Bucks and Kings guard. “The ball movement, the cutting. He’s a great cutter. He’s a really good spot-up shooter. He’s a good passer on the move. He’s not just a spot-up shooter. He’s a secondary playmaker. Pretty bouncy, but with a great feel for the game. He’s gonna fit right in.”

DiVencenzo committed to Golden State shortly after free agency began, while Green was persuaded to sign with the Warriors after initially planning to join another team. Kerr sees Green as a replacement for both Porter and Bjelica as he possesses elements of both of their games.

“He’s capable of sort of playing either role, the four or the five,” Kerr said. “If he’s playing with Draymond (Green), he can stretch the floor and can guard the five, while Draymond guards the four. He gives us frontcourt flexibility. I have a lot of confidence he’ll shoot the ball well. Players generally shoot the ball better with us, I think. That’s not always true. But the space that Steph and Klay provide them along with Draymond’s passing. You saw it with Otto and Gary last year. I think JaMychal will love playing with our guys.”

Here are some other highlights of Kerr’s interview:

On the challenges the Warriors will face in defending a title, compared to last year when they were trying to prove they could still be contenders:

“I don’t know that it’s a bigger challenge because last year felt like a huge challenge going in. Last year felt more daunting because we’d had two lousy seasons in a row. This year feels different because we’re the defending champs. It feels like we’ve got our groove back. We’ll have Klay (Thompson) back for a full season. Our foundation in place. While we’re absolutely going to play a lot of young guys, we kind of have a core six, a foundational six players who are really the ones that make everything happen and will allow us to bring the young guys along.”

On larger roles, and perhaps even regular minutes, for young players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman:

“All of them have shown really good signs . JK had a stretch last year where — I think it was March, early April — he played really well and started to get more comfortable. He didn’t get as much run in the playoffs, but that’s normal for a rookie, especially once we were fully healthy.

“Moses looks the part. He’s got a more advanced, well-rounded game than JK right now in terms of how it fits with the others. That 3-and-D position. He projects to be a part of things next year. He showed it in the playoffs against Dallas.

“Then James I actually think had some really good moments his rookie year. It gets lost in the shuffle because overall it was a struggle for our team and James had ups and downs. But you remember he had some really big games for us. As he continues to build momentum and gain confidence in his body and skills, I think he’ll help us.”

On the Warriors’ approach with Andre Iguodala, who has a roster spot waiting if he decides to return:

“I leave Andre alone. He knows where we stand. If he wants to come back, we’d love to have him. The one thing we feel strongly about with Andre is we want to give him whatever space and time he needs to make a decision. I’m leaving him alone. Whenever he makes his decision is fine with us.”

Kevin Durant Rumors: Price Tag, Raptors, Pelicans, Warriors

July 12th, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Reporting from the Las Vegas Summer League, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says there’s skepticism among league insiders that a Kevin Durant trade will happen anytime soon, and a sense that the situation could linger into training camp.

According to Scotto, five executives he spoke to in Vegas felt as if Minnesota overpaid to acquire Rudy Gobert and increased the Nets‘ asking price for Durant in the process, creating a larger gap between what Brooklyn wants and what potential suitors are willing to give up. One GM told Scotto that he believes Durant is worth “a James Harden-type package.” It’s unclear if that’s a reference to the price paid for Harden by the Nets or the 76ers.

Scotto suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Nets hang onto Durant for a while and wait for a “Godfather offer.” If that offer doesn’t come, the Nets may hope the former MVP changes his mind about wanting a trade and is satisfied to remain in Brooklyn at least for the time being.

Here’s more on the Durant market from Scotto:

The Raptors are still “hesitant” to include Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in any offer for Durant, league sources tell HoopsHype. Scotto speculates that a package centered around Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. could be Toronto’s starting point, but notes that the Nets would want more. Scotto is unsure how willing the Raptors are to put OG Anunoby in a package for Durant.
According to Scotto, multiple executives are skeptical that the Pelicans will make a strong push for Durant instead of seeing how a healthy Zion Williamson meshes with the promising roster that made the playoffs in 2021/22. Scotto adds that some execs also believe Durant wouldn’t want to be dealt to New Orleans.
The Warriors wouldn’t be inclined to give up all of their promising young players – Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody – in a trade for Durant, says Scotto.
According to Scotto, some rival executives think the Spurs and Pacers are preserving their remaining cap room to see if they can be a salary-dumping ground in a multi-team Durant trade, netting draft assets in the process.

Pacific Notes: Moody, Kuminga, Wainright, Sabonis

July 11th, 2022 at 9:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The departures of Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. open up playing time for Warriors guard Moses Moody. He could have a 20-minute role as the eighth or ninth man in the rotation if all goes well, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes.

“Try to make myself beneficial,” Moody said of his goals. “Make it to the point where if I’m getting into the game, it’s not because someone likes me. It’s not doing me a favor. I want to be needed. I want you to think ‘I need Moses on the floor.’ That’s on me. I’ve got to make that the scenario.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Moody, James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga are all showing signs of rewarding the Warriors’ patience in them during Summer League play, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Kuminga, in particular, sparkled at the end of the Warriors’ one-point win over the Spurs on Sunday, with eight points and an assist in the last four minutes as well as making defensive plays.
Free agent Ish Wainright is hopeful of re-signing with the Suns, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets. The undrafted Wainwright appeared in 45 regular season games last season. He had his two-way contract converted into a standard end-of-the-season-deal during the waning days of the season. “Everybody knows I want to be back,” said Wainwright, who is playing Summer League games with the Suns. “It’s out of my hands.”
Domantas Sabonis is happy with the Kings’ moves during the offseason, as he told James Boyd of the Indianap0lis Star. “We’re doing the right things,” he said. “We’ve got a coaching staff that is motivated to get us better and put us in the right direction. We made some good add-ons in free agency (signing Malik Monk and trading for Kevin Huerter), and we still have some time left, so I’m just excited.”

Warriors Notes: Rookies, Roster, Iguodala, Summer League

June 24th, 2022 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

The Warriors selected Patrick Baldwin Jr. with their first-round pick (No. 28) in a gamble on his upside, and he’ll bring a familiar, appreciated mentality to Golden State, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area.

As Poole details, Baldwin was a five-star recruit entering college, but was limited to just 11 games for Wisconsin-Milwaukee due to a serious ankle injury, which had some questioning his toughness. The young forward insists that isn’t an issue.

“There’s never a point where if I feel like I’m healthy that I feel like I should sit out,” Baldwin told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I know that’s contrary to popular belief with some people. If I’m healthy, I’m playing, but at some points I was pushing through it. But if there was a sliver of a chance I could play for my team and compete, I’m going out there to play.”

Baldwin averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per contest as a freshman last season, but his shooting line of .344/.266/.743 was dreadful. He also tested extremely poorly at the combine last month, Poole notes, recording just a 26.5 inch maximum vertical leap, one of the worst marks in the last 10 years.

“I’m a better athlete than I showed that day,” Baldwin told Poole. “I’m a firm believer in that. I know I’ve got to come out here and really show that’s not an issue. That’s all you can do. You can’t sit and talk about it. You’ve got to do it.”

President of basketball operations Bob Myers recently said that Baldwin still needs to be medically cleared for Summer League action, so it sounds like the ankle might still be an issue (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Myers also touched on the team’s second-round selections, per Slater. Golden State expects to have Ryan Rollins on the 15-man roster, but might draft-and-stash Gui Santos. The Warriors traded up to acquire Rollins at No. 44, while the Brazilian forward Santos was the team’s own pick at No. 55.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic provides a player-by-player breakdown of the team’s roster following the draft. Myers said drafting young players is desirable in part because they’re so difficult to obtain in free agency. “It’s easier to get some of the older players, we think, in free agency, than young players. Young players are probably the most in demand in free agency. Obviously trading for them is extremely difficult. So that’s why we draft some guys like that,” he said as part of a larger quote.
Andre Iguodala has earned “player-emeritus status” with the Warriors, Monte Poole states in a separate article. Iguodala is undecided on whether or not he’s going to retire, but the team would be “thrilled” to have him back. Poole argues that Iguodala’s off-court impact is incredibly valuable to Golden State and the team should keep him as long as he wants to stick around, like what Miami does with Udonis Haslem.
The Warriors expect James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to all participate in Summer League, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, who says the trio has a big opportunity to improve this offseason. Wiseman, of course, missed all of last season after multiple setbacks from a couple of knee surgeries.