After exiting Monday’s game due to a knee injury and undergoing tests on Tuesday, Warriors wing Moses Moody has been diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Moody’s 2025/26 season is over and he’s facing a lengthy rehabilitation process, Charania adds. While there are no details yet on a potential timeline, the 23-year-old is unlikely to be ready for the start of ’26/27 based on the typical recovery period for this type of injury.
It’s a crushing blow for Moody, who was in the midst of the best season of his five-year NBA career. His 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 steal per game all represented career highs, as did his 40.1% three-point percentage. He started 49 of the 60 games he played for Golden State this season, averaging 25.7 minutes per night.
Moody, who was playing on Monday for the first time in three weeks after recovering from a wrist ailment, suffered the injury during the final minutes of the Warriors’ win over Dallas. He stole the ball from Cooper Flagg, dribbled up the court, and went up for a breakaway dunk, but his left knee buckled as he planted to jump. Moody lost the ball and fell to the floor, immediately grabbing at his knee. He had to be carted off the court.
A patellar tendon tear isn’t as common an injury among NBA players as an ACL or Achilles tear, but it’s certainly not unprecedented. Victor Oladipo (2023), Dante Exum (2019), Andre Roberson (2018), Jeremy Lin (2017), and David Lee (2017) are among the players to suffer similar injuries in the past decade.
Exum, who sustained his injury in mid-March, was able to get back on the court in November of the following season, but his was a partial tear. Lin was out for almost exactly one year, while Roberson estimated that he was about 85-95% recovered when he suffered a setback about eight months into his recovery period. Oladipo, who had already dealt with major leg injuries before tearing his patellar tendon, and Lee, who was 34 when he sustained the injury, didn’t play again in the NBA (though Oladipo has since attempted to make a comeback).
Moody’s injury is the latest setback for the Warriors, who have been plagued by health problems during the second half of the season and have slid down in the standings to 10th place in the Western Conference. Not having Moody available this spring will further reduce the club’s odds of making any real noise in the postseason.
In the short term, Gui Santos figures to return to Golden State’s starting lineup after coming off the bench on Monday for the first time since March 2. Looking ahead to the longer term, Moody is the second Warriors regular who will likely be on the injured list when the 2026/27 campaign tips off. Jimmy Butler, who tore his right ACL in January, isn’t expected to be available until later in the season.
Moody will be entering the second season of a three-year, $37.5MM deal this summer. He’ll make $12.5MM in ’26/27, with a guaranteed $13.43MM salary for ’27/28.
Torn? More like removed. Poor guy.
Hoping for a best case recovery for him.
Man that injury is absolutely brutal. The good thing about the injury is that Moody is young. However, with that injury, you are typically not the same player after returning , if you can even make it that far! Hoping the best for Moses Moody! He’s a solid young player! Golden State organization is cursed!
Godspeed young man..Im no Warriors fan but I hope he does well in his recovery and is young enough to come back
Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery Moses!
The list of those who had same injury is one that does NOT breed hope. Seemed like those players for the most part went south in their game or career ended
This is why they need to maximize their opportunity when they have some leverage.
Moody in fact signed team friendy contract.
Same thing with Santos contract. Warriors talk him up but gives him $15m for 3 yrs. Kuminga also had no financial security the last 2 yrs. The morale for the youth movent is not good unless you are desperate 2 way player or journeymen.
It wasn’t that team friendly it was a contract that fit what other up and coming players were signing. The good thing is he has 2 more years getting paid until he is fully healthy for his next big pay day.
For a 1st round pick, it could have easily been a 4 yr contract, if not 5 yrs. He wasnt a 2nd round pick, nor a low 1st round pick lile Poole.
I mean the 3 year contracts given out beforehand helped dictate the market. I wouldn’t say friendly or above market. I’d say market.
Warriors didnt play him much until he signed the extension. He even became a starter, lol.
Anyways time to fix the Warriors 2026 roster
PG Curry
SG Podziemski
SF Butler
PF Draymond
C – Nick Richards
Bench
Moody
Achiuwa (size)
Biyombo? Size rim protection
Porter Jr who opts out of his option I think (scoring)
Alvarado who opts out of his option I think (back up PG)
Porzingis
Depth with draft picks
Anyways
Warriors need more size more rim protection and need some sparks off the bench. Pick who you will.
First I’d say that’s not a good team bud. Nick Richards doesn’t look like a competent NBA player and Draymond looks just about gassed.
Second, Porter Jr is 100% a starter in the NBA, no way he chooses to come of GS’s bench. Third, I’d say don’t expect Moody back next year and definitely don’t expect him to be the same player. That injury is BRUTAL.
Draymond has a player option he’s picking up next season
Richards is cheap.
Porter is a starter on bad teams but he’s a scorer and that’s about it. On good teams he’s a bench piece spark plug
He can either start on a bad team or play for a supposed playoff contender and come off the bench.
Draymond will pick up his option no question but that doesn’t make him worth $25 mil. 8pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 32% downtown, 41% from the field. That’s not very good.
As far as the Porter thing, with all due respect it doesn’t sound like you know ball. A six year starter who averaged 17 pts and 6 rebs at 40% from downtown on an NBA championship team is a bench spark player? I don’t get it.
Since he’s entered the leagues he’s played on
19-46
17-55
20-62
22-62
50-32 and 48-34
29-43
The two winning teams he was on LAC and MIL last year he was a bench piece averaging 20 mins a game
Rest of the seasons he’s been a starter on bad teams
His FG% of .465 this year ranks him around 30th – 35th amongst guards
His .322 percentage from 3 ranks him near 150th amongst guards
He’s a high volume scorer on bad teams
Hes a bench piece on good teams given his limited 3 point range but ability to score
Oh crap my fault fam. I was thinking Michael Porter Jr not Kevin Porter Jr.
Ok, on K Porter Jr, totally agree
My bad I didn’t realize Michael Porter Jr was a Jr too lmao
Yeah I can see the confusion. Kevin Porter Jr is who I was referencing
Totally fair, but you can’t add KPJ to the Warriors, he’s not smart, it’s D’Angelo Russell all over again and we just saw with Kuminga the Warriors don’t want guys who can’t read and react.
No hate but I think it’s honestly over man. Steph injuries take longer and longer to heal, messing up the Wiseman draft and the Kuminga draft left no one to step up and now the cupboard is bare of elite talent
Having suffered a complete tear while going up to stuff it, I completely sympathise. Took me a year and I don’t jump anymore. But I’m old and he’s young. Wish him the best.
If Sean Livingston can come back at that age, anyone can.
Best warriors can hope for is he can comeback by next Feb. Will he be still up to 100% is the question.
Nah he’s out the entire next season. This is a REAL injury, unlike Curry’s.
6-9 months is the recovery period for Moody’s type of injury.
Return Timeline: The recovery from a torn patellar tendon is extensive, typically requiring 9–12 months for return to NBA play.
Game shape is another story. As you can see Tatum struggles. Moodys is a worse injury. Probably should sit till 2027-28.
He should take the season off since GSW won’t have anything to look forward to. Going to be worse next year gals.
Still not as bad as your analysis.
yeah yeah yeah you have been saying that since 2019, yawn….
Ouch, I like Moody. Dont rush and get well.
Classy response from the crowd in Dallas, you could see that they genuinely felt bad for the guy.
The worst injury for an athlete. Just sucks
@SteveAdams – will GSW get an injured player exception for Moody?
Wouldn’t really matter, any player picked up after March 1 can’t be on the playoff roster
What about for next season? Moody will likely be out until next March at the earliest.
I hate to see players get injured, especially when it’s really serious. I really hope this young man can come back from this fully healed. Prayers up!
Horrible situation. Moody was really coming into his own. Defense, shooting. Playmaking with the dunks. Sad stuff.
Team wise we lose another wing type who can shoot with defense. Resigning Melton I would think would be a priority moreso. But I don’t know. Warriors have a lot of wings. And I’d imagine the NBA gifting the dubs a nice pick for Curry after the injuries. What a mess in Golden State.
Melton lacks size to be a real wing. Defensively, he stinks. They need to target Trey Murphy III.
#career