Warriors Rumors

Moses Moody To Miss Remainder Of Preseason

Moses Moody will miss the final three games of the Warriors‘ preseason due to a left calf injury, reports ESPN’s Anthony Slater (via Twitter).

According to head Steve Kerr, the Warriors are “not too concerned” about the injury, which occurred in practice. Slater adds that the team is hopeful that Moody can return in time for the season opener.

Moody started both of the Warriors’ preseason games to this point, averaging 14.5 points and 1.0 steal per contest while hitting seven of his 12 three-point attempts.

After years of being in and out of the Warriors’ rotation, Moody seems to have finally carved out a role for himself as a floor spacer and versatile wing defender in Kerr’s main rotation. If he were to miss time to open the season, it could open the door for Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield to earn extra minutes.

Warriors Notes: Starting Lineup, Moody, Kuminga, Podziemski

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is intrigued by the starting lineup he used in Wednesday’s victory over Portland and wants to see it in action again before the preseason ends, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). After going with a small-ball approach in the preseason opener while bringing Al Horford off the bench in his Golden State debut, Kerr made Horford a starter against the Trail Blazers along with Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

“That could be a really powerful combo,” Kerr said. “I didn’t have a great sense of it after the game because I was thinking so much of our turnovers and our lack of focus at times during the first half. But looking at the tape, it was a lot better than I expected for those first seven minutes or so.”

Kerr likes having more size on the court to start the game, especially with Horford, who shoots well enough from three-point range to give everyone else plenty of room to operate. The group only played together for a little more than half of the first quarter before Kerr began making substitutions, and the veterans rested in the second half.

“You can tell with all the different lineups, we know that there’s still going to be a lot to work on in terms of the chemistry and just the certain combinations,” Curry said. “That’s part of the journey of training camp. But I just like the vibe and the intentionality that we’re all coming with, understanding that we need to get off to a good start. And trying to make that happen.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • That starting group won’t be together on Sunday when Golden State faces the Lakers, Gordon adds. Kerr said Saturday that Butler has an excused personal absence for the game, while Curry and Horford will be held out. Green will start alongside Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga and Quinten Post, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
  • Moody was set to undergo an MRI on Saturday for a calf issue, Slater tweets. Kerr said it’s believed to be minor, but the imaging is being done as a precaution.
  • Kuminga and Podziemski come from different parts of the world and had polar opposite experiences as children, but they find themselves in the same position of competing for larger roles with the Warriors, observes Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required). Kuminga, who grew up in the Congo, tends to be calm and peaceful while looking the part of an NBA star, Jenkins states. Podziemski is much more of an extrovert after years of having to prove himself against elite competition.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Kerr, Podziemski, Horford

Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency saga was finally resolved on September 30, when the 23-year-old forward re-signed with the Warriors on a two-year, $46.8MM deal. Despite the lengthy negotiations and a contract that could make him a prime trade candidate, Kuminga tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he’s “at peace” with his situation and doesn’t feel any anxiety about the future.

I don’t think about things like that. I let the day just tell us what’s going to happen,” Kuminga said. “But when it comes to future stuff and things like that, no. I don’t worry about things like that. I just try to get better. You never know with this life. It’s the NBA. One day you’re going to be here. One day you’re going to be somewhere else.

The biggest thing about it is just to work and just get better every day and be a winner. No matter where I’ll be, no matter if I’m going to be here or they might ship me somewhere else. I just want to get to wherever I’ll get, or be here and just be involved and win and impact right away. That is my biggest concern. I’m at that point now where I’ve got a couple years in now. So, I know what’s right and what is not right.”

Kuminga acknowledged some frustration with the way his role has fluctuated during his time with Golden State and said he doesn’t plan to bring the topic up with head coach Steve Kerr. For his part, Kerr still believes Kuminga can be an important piece for the Warriors, according to Spears.

It’s been an interesting fit,” Kerr told Andscape. “He’s made it pretty clear that he wants the ball and an opportunity that a lot of his cohorts get and people that were drafted near him. And we weren’t able to offer that. We were a championship team. We won the title his rookie year (2021/22) and have been in the mix the last few years. So, it’s been tough. I respect the fact that he is competing and fighting in a set of circumstances that maybe isn’t ideal for him. But the thing I keep telling him is he can play a role for us, absolutely, with his size, speed and athleticism.

He can play an important role on a very good team. He just turned 23 (on Monday). He has plenty of basketball ahead. One day, hopefully, he will look back on this as a valuable time in his career. But I know he’s frustrated. He’s made it very clear publicly. I don’t mind that, but I want him to embrace the idea that he can be a part of something special.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

  • As he enters his third season, guard Brandin Podziemski hopes to take major strides in multiple aspects of his game, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. In order to do so, Podziemski knows he’ll have to do a better job of regulating his emotions. “There’s a next step in evolving emotionally, and as a leader,” Podziemski told The Athletic. “Having confidence from your teammates is one thing, especially the vets, but them trusting you in big moments that could define their career. Could add another piece to their career. For them to have trust in you is a different thing, and you got to earn that over time, and I think that’s a goal of mine going into this season.”
  • Veteran center Al Horford has quickly developed impressive chemistry with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Friedell adds in another story. “It’s a level of awareness that I’ve never really had to think about before,” Horford said of playing with Curry. “But when I’m on the floor with him, the whole mindset is trying to make the game easier for him. And for me, that is either getting him the ball, or setting a good screen, or doing anything that I can to make sure that our offense moves and flows. He’s such a smart player that it’s easy to play off of him. And sometimes he’ll kind of tell you what to do. He passed me that ball, but I knew that he was gonna cut, so I guess that’s the unspoken (chemistry) he’s talking about right there. He expected me to pass the ball and I did.”
  • Erik Spoelstra is expected to be named the new head coach of the United States’ men’s basketball team. Kerr believes USA Basketball made a great choice, per Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points (Twitter video link; hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “Spo’s an incredible, phenomenal coach. Watching him the last two summers, getting to know him up close… Spo was the perfect choice.”

Taran Armstrong Signs With Dubai Basketball

October 10: Dubai Basketball has officially announced its deal with Armstrong. According to the team, the contract is for one year, with an option on year two.


October 8: Australian point guard Taran Armstrong, who signed a two-way contract with the Warriors late last season, has agreed to a contract with Dubai Basketball in the EuroLeague, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc reports.

It’s a two-year deal that includes an NBA exit clause for the 2026 offseason, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

Armstrong didn’t appear in a Warriors game after signing a two-way contract in late February. He played 11 games for their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, and averaged 11.5 points, 8.2 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 28.5 minutes per contest.

Golden State issued Armstrong a two-way qualifying offer in June and it was still on the table as of October 1, the deadline for him to accept it. Since Armstrong signed with a non-NBA team, the Warriors have the ability to continue issuing him qualifying offers in future seasons to retain his restricted free agent rights, as they’ve done with Nico Mannion in recent years.

The Serbian club KK Partizan was also reportedly interested in signing Armstrong. The 23-year-old, who played for the Warriors’ Summer League team, joins a Dubai Basketball team that made its debut in the EuroLeague in late September with an 89-76 win over Partizan.

Armstrong played for the Cairns Taipans in Australia’s National Basketball League before joining the Warriors. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for that club.

Dubai Basketball’s roster also includes former NBA players Davis Bertans, Dwayne Bacon and Justin Anderson.

2025/26 NBA Over/Unders: Pacific Division

With the 2025/26 NBA regular season tipping off later this month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including BetMGM and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2024/25, our voters went 13-17 on their over/under picks. Can we top that in ’25/26?

We’ll continue our series today with the Pacific Division…


Los Angeles Clippers


Los Angeles Lakers


Golden State Warriors


Sacramento Kings


Phoenix Suns


Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Boston Celtics (42.5 wins): Over (52.7%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (42.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (37.5 wins): Over (50.2%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Over (54.4%)

Central

  • Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Detroit Pistons (46.5 wins): Over (60.5%)
  • Milwaukee Bucks (42.5 wins): Over (74.4%)
  • Indiana Pacers (37.5 wins): Over (50.1%)
  • Chicago Bulls (32.5 wins): Over (60.8%)

Northwest

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (62.5 wins): Over (62.9%)
  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (72.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5 wins): Over (58.7%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (34.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
  • Utah Jazz (18.5 wins): Over (55.3%).

Western Notes: THJ, Horford, Kuminga, R. Williams

Although three or four teams reached out to convey their interest in him early in free agency, Tim Hardaway Jr. was drawn to the Nuggets in part because J.J. Barea and Jared Dudley were joining David Adelman‘s coaching staff, as he tells Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Hardaway played alongside Barea with the Mavericks from 2019-20, while Dudley was a Mavs assistant coach during three of Hardaway’s years in Dallas.

“It gives you more confidence (having Dudley and Barea on staff), just because they understand your style of play,” Hardaway said. “They reiterate that to the rest of the coaching staff. I mean, Jared Dudley was my assistant coach in Dallas for years, so he knows what I can do on and off the floor for the team.”

Hardaway made 77 starts in Detroit last season and hasn’t averaged fewer than 26.8 minutes per game in a season since 2015/16. He also hasn’t earned less than $16MM in a season since ’16/17. This year in Denver, he’s on a minimum-salary contract and will likely be part of the Nuggets’ second unit. However, he’s embracing the opportunity to play for a championship contender and wants to set an example for his younger teammates who may end up playing lesser roles.

“I’ve realized throughout my career, sulking and being upset about something, it’s just being an energy-drainer at that point,” Hardaway told Durando. “So just coming in there, letting those guys understand if they’re having rough days, bad days, (my job is) lifting them up, if I have to take them to dinner, (or) if I have to get the team all out together.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Al Horford‘s two-year contract with the Warriors, which is worth the full taxpayer mid-level exception and includes a second-year player option, also features a 15% trade kicker, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Horford will become trade-eligible on January 1, three months after he officially signed with Golden State.
  • Within a look at Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga as an in-season trade candidate, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) observes that even though Golden State is right up against a hard cap and will have to account for Kuminga’s trade kicker, the lack of base year compensation restrictions will make it easier to move him during the season than it would have been in a sign-and-trade. For instance, the Warriors wouldn’t have been able to take back Malik Monk in a sign-and-trade with Sacramento without sending out another player, but a straight-up deal involving those two players (plus draft assets) would be cap-legal now.
  • Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams still hasn’t been cleared for contact, head coach Chauncey Billups said on Monday, but he has been taking part in non-contact work and the team is “very happy” with the progress he has made (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report). Health issues have limited Williams to 26 total outings since he was traded to Portland two years ago.

Warriors Notes: Horford, Curry, Green, Butler

Al Horford provided a glimpse of what he can offer the Warriors as he made his preseason debut in Sunday’s win over the Lakers, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. The 39-year-old big man posted three points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in 14 minutes, and Golden State was +13 in his time on the court. Horford looks like a seamless addition, and his teammates are excited to have him in the lineup.

“Obviously has a high IQ,” Stephen Curry said. “An experienced, championship-caliber player that can fit with any lineup out there. He gives us space. He gives us presence on the defensive end. You saw the pass he made to me out of the corner on the give-and-go. There’s just an unspoken chemistry that will continue to get better. He’s multidimensional as a five-man. Excited to see what that looks like for me, for Jimmy (Butler), for (Jonathan Kuminga) and Draymond (Green). Any lineup, you can throw him out there at the five and he lifts the group.”

Horford wasn’t used as a starter on Sunday, but he entered the game quickly after Moses Moody picked up three early fouls. Poole states that he still projects as the team’s starting center and will almost certainly be in the closing lineup. The Celtics took a cautious approach with Horford last season, limiting him to 60 games and not using him both nights of back-to-backs, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr plans to handle him the same way.

“We have to preserve all our older guys as best we can to have them ready for the playoffs. That’s the idea,” Kerr said. “But no question, he’s still got it. He’s incredible player. Great fit for us.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Kerr gave limited playing time to his veterans in the preseason opener, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry, Green, Butler and Horford all played 15 minutes or less and were out of the game by halftime. Curry looked to be in midseason form already, scoring 14 points while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and sinking three three-pointers.
  • Kerr began the game with a small lineup using Green at center, but he told reporters that may not be the plan for the regular season (Twitter video link from Anthony Slater of ESPN). “It doesn’t mean Draymond is going to be logging heavy minutes at the five,” Kerr said.
  • Butler was thrown into the fire of a playoff race when the Warriors traded for him in February, states Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. He expects to benefit from having the offseason and a full training camp with the team. “I get to do this thing from day one,” he said. “Be with the guys from day one and do what we started out to do. … I’m super hyped and I’m super excited. We’re going to have to go out there and produce and get it done. We know that. But we are just so joyful. We’re so happy to be able to compete with one another, and do what we set out to do. Do what I want to do for the first time — win a championship. I smile knowing that it’s a really great chance for us.”

Western Notes: Topic, Rockets, Podziemski, Suns

The rotation the Thunder use this fall will look awfully similar to the one that won a championship earlier in the year, but there could be one notable new addition. Nikola Topic, the 2024 lottery pick who missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, has impressed his teammates in training camp as he makes a bid for regular playing time, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscription required).

“It really stands out the way he sees the game,” Chet Holmgren said of the Serbian point guard. “Even without the ball in his hands, the way he cuts and finds open space. Sees plays up ahead of him and gets the ball out of his hands early. It’s impressive for a young guy, but that’s what got him noticed in the first place is his ability to see and read the game.”

Teammate Jaylin Williams also expressed admiration for Topic’s court vision and awareness: “You can see he really reads the game. Great passer, great facilitator out there.”

All 12 players who averaged at least 16 minutes per game for the Thunder last season are still on the roster, and all 12 except for Kenrich Williams (knee surgery) are healthy, so it remains to be seen whether Topic will be able to crack the regular season rotation.

However, he should get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do during Oklahoma City’s preseason schedule, which tips off on Sunday, Mussatto notes. According to head coach Mark Daigneault (Twitter video link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer), several of the Thunder’s top players didn’t travel to South Carolina for Sunday’s preseason opener, the first game in a back-to-back set.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

  • The Rockets will likely deploy different starting lineups during the preseason as head coach Ime Udoka gets a feel for how certain groups look in game settings, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Udoka also said that forward Tari Eason and center Steven Adams will sit out Wednesday’s game vs. Utah after playing on Monday vs. Atlanta for precautionary reasons. Both players returned last season from major injuries.
  • Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about a variety of topics, including how he’d evaluate his 2024/25 season, what he focused on this offseason, and why he thinks incorporating newcomers like Al Horford will make for a “seamless transition.”
  • Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic shares his key takeaways from the Suns‘ victory over the Lakers in their preseason opener on Friday, including the fact that second-year wing Ryan Dunn started as the team’s de facto power forward.

Warriors Notes: Seth Curry, Injury Risks, Butler, Jackson-Davis, Podziemski

At a news conference following Thursday’s practice, Seth Curry explained why he decided to join the Warriors after resisting the idea of teaming up with older brother Stephen Curry throughout his career, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Seth told reporters that he was trying to “create my own path” in the NBA, and playing in his brother’s shadow would have interfered with that.

Coach Steve Kerr agreed with that reasoning, saying it would have been awkward to have both brothers on the team earlier in their careers.

“I don’t know if the timing was right (for Seth to join us) over recent years,” Kerr said. “We probably didn’t have playing time for him. He was in a place where he was going to teams and playing a lot, making money. It just feels like (Stephen and Seth are) both at a point in their careers where this makes a ton of sense. I’m thrilled to have Seth.”

While Steph became a legend in the Bay Area, the younger Curry faced a different journey, working his way up through the G League and playing for nine teams over the past 11 years. He has been a deadly outside shooter wherever he has gone, and Gordon notes that his career percentage of 43.3% from beyond the arc is slightly better than his brother, who is considered possibly the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history.

Seth holds a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, and he’s expected to be waived before the start of the regular season. The plan is for him to rejoin the team at some point during the season on a pro-rated veteran’s minimum deal due to the Warriors’ hard-cap situation.

“Everybody’s excited about it,” he said. “Instead of watching more games, it should be just easier to watch my game, which is easier on everybody. Everybody is excited about it, except maybe my dad (Dell Curry). He didn’t want me to leave Charlotte.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Golden State will likely become the first team in NBA history with four starters who are at least 35 years old, so Kerr will have to be cognizant of playing time to minimize injuries, Gordon states in a separate story. Thirty-nine-year-old Al Horford joins Stephen Curry (37), Jimmy Butler (36) and Draymond Green (35), and the team has reserves Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield who will both turn 33 during the season. “We don’t want to be in a position where you’re chasing (a playoff berth) down the stretch of the season,” Curry said. “It felt like every game was a playoff game for two straight months and then you transition into a very tough seven-game series and then you’re 48 hours from a round two, Game 1. It was a very condensed high level of basketball.”
  • Butler missed practice Friday and Saturday while recovering from a rolled ankle and Kerr considers him a “question mark” for Sunday’s preseason opener, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link). Trayce Jackson-Davis has a taped right thumb and is also considered questionable.
  • Brandin Podziemski was used as a starter at Thursday’s practice, but Kerr said nothing has been decided yet, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).

Western Notes: Kuminga, Kleber, Coward, Blazers, Grant

After Jonathan Kuminga took part in his first Warriors practice of training camp on Thursday – he participated in about half the team’s scrimmages, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter video link) – the 22-year-old forward publicly discussed his contract situation for the first time since finalizing a two-year, $46.8MM deal that includes a second-year team option.

Negotiations on that contract dragged on for the entire offseason in part because Kuminga reportedly didn’t want to simply become a trade chip after re-signing. So, now that he’s back under contract on a very tradable deal, does he feel as if the Warriors want to keep him for the long term?

“I would say so,” Kuminga said, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “Based on me being back here. At the end of the day, let’s see where this takes us. But my focus is this year pushing and actually helping us win. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m happy, glad to be back.”

As for whether he wants to remain in Golden State for the long term? “I’m here now,” Kuminga said. “That’s everybody’s goal, to be somewhere for longer. You never know your future. So far that’s my goal. That’s what I want to accomplish. Being here for longer.”

Kuminga’s role has been inconsistent during his first four years in the NBA, including last spring, when he was a DNP-CD in a handful of games at the end of the season and in the postseason. He said on Thursday that he’s determined to find ways to “help us win” on both ends of the court in 2025/26 and that he intends to silence critics who believe he’s an offense-only player.

“If it’s on defense, if it’s an assignment, just go guard the best player,” Kuminga said. “Today we need you to score. Today we need you to guard certain people. That’s what I’m looking forward to and I’m open-minded to it.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Lakers big man Maxi Kleber is dealing with a quad injury, but it’s considered minor, according to head coach JJ Redick, who said on Thursday the team is being cautious with Kleber and he’ll miss a few days (Twitter link via Jovan Buha). Kleber, acquired from Dallas in February’s Luka Doncic blockbuster, broke his foot in January and didn’t make his Lakers debut until Game 5 of their first-round series vs. Minnesota, the team’s last game of the season.
  • Cedric Coward, the No. 11 pick in June’s draft, is earning praise from coaches and teammates alike at the Grizzlies‘ training camp at Belmont University this week, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I think he’s kind of exceeded my expectations,” point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. said. “I never really saw any of his (college) highlights, but I’ve played and I’ve been around top picks. I feel like he’s been one of the better ones I’ve ever seen.” Memphis gave up a future first-round pick and two second-rounders in order to move up five spots from No. 16 to draft Coward.
  • After declaring at a July 22 press conference that it’s “winning time now” for the Trail Blazers, general manager Joe Cronin walked back that comment a little this week when he discussed the team’s expectations for the coming season, notes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Do we want to make the play-in? Yes,” Cronin said. “Do we want to make the playoffs? Yes. Do we want to win 16 playoff games? Yes. But I don’t have expectations and I won’t be disappointed if those things don’t happen as long as we’re continually growing. We’re still thinking big-picture with this roster.”
  • On media day on Monday, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant answered a question about the possibility of him coming off the bench by replying, “I don’t really expect that.” On Thursday, Grant sought to clarify that he wouldn’t become disgruntled if he doesn’t end up starting. “I’m fine, man,” he said, per Highkin (Twitter link).