Moses Moody Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Fischer’s Latest: Tucker, Suns, Warriors, Mavs, Blazers, Graham

January 17th, 2024 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

After being traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers earlier this season, veteran forward P.J. Tucker is a “strong” candidate to be moved again ahead of the February 8 deadline, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Washington is viewed as a potential trade destination for Tucker, who would likely be bought out if he’s sent to the Wizards. In that scenario, the Suns and Bucks would be among the teams expected to pursue the 38-year-old on the buyout market, Fischer adds.

Tucker is earning $11MM this season, with an $11.5MM player option for 2024/25, so unless he gives up a significant portion of his remaining money in a buyout agreement, he’d still have a real impact on his team’s salary cap for next season. With that in mind, the Wizards (or another trade partner) would presumably want a solid asset or two as a sweetener to take on his contract, especially if they’re also giving up a rotation-caliber player in the process.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Suns are one of the more active teams on the trade market and have explored what a package that includes Grayson Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, Fischer reports. Those efforts are complicated by the fact that Phoenix’s draft assets consist of just four second-round picks, according to Fischer, who points out too that Allen has been arguably the team’s most important players outside of its three stars.
Although the Warriors and Mavericks have displayed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Golden State has shown little desire to part with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, Fischer writes. As for the Mavs, they’ve been linked to many forwards, per Fischer, including Andrew Wiggins, P.J. Washington of the Hornets, and former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith, now a member of the Nets.
Jerami Grant is the sort of player who would appeal to teams like the Mavericks and Kings, but the Trail Blazers aren’t expected to seriously consider offers for the veteran forward, according to Fischer. Portland guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as a more viable trade candidate.
In addition to veterans like Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, who were previously identified as trade candidates, guard Devonte’ Graham is another Spurs player who is available via trade, sources tell Fischer. Graham has been out of San Antonio’s rotation all season and has a $12.1MM cap hit for this season, with a $2.85MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, so he presumably won’t have positive value.

Western Notes: Kuminga, Moody, Suns, Mavs, Hawkins

January 15th, 2024 at 1:44pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Warriors appear open to various trade possibilities, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic hears Golden State’s front office isn’t actively shopping 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

According to Vecenie’s sources, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. places a high value on both young players and prefers to keep them, but he also recognizes that other teams value them as well. It remains to be seen how things will shake out over the next three-plus weeks until the February 8 deadline.

Vecenie’s full article focuses on this season’s trade candidates, with Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine at the top of his trade board.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Suns‘ “big three” rotation was slow to form with all three players dealing with various injuries in 2023/24, particularly Bradley Beal, who has been limited to 15 games thus far. However, in recent games, head coach Frank Vogel seems to have settled on a substitution pattern he likes, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
Star guard Luka Doncic will miss Monday’s game vs. New Orleans — his third straight absence — due to a right ankle sprain, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). Starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a new addition to the injury report — he’s sidelined with a right calf contusion. Rookie center Dereck Lively, meanwhile, will return from a five-game absence after dealing with a left ankle sprain, and Maxi Kleber will be active for the second straight contest after a lengthy absence due to a toe injury.
With the Pelicans near full strength, rookie guard Jordan Hawkins had received erratic playing time of late. That changed in a major way during Saturday’s victory over Dallas, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson all missed the contest — the second of a back-to-back — for various reasons, creating an opening for Hawkins, who responded with a career-high 34 points (on 11-of-19 shooting), five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. “I was just playing basketball,” Hawkins said. “Early in the season, I got a chance to play a lot. I wasn’t really nervous or anything. I looked at it like, ‘I’m going to hoop and show what I can do.’ No CJ, Trey, BI or Z. I knew the shots were going to be there. I just had to make them.”

Warriors’ Moses Moody Out At Least 10 Days

January 12th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Moses Moody will miss the remainder of the Warriors‘ road trip due to a left calf strain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

“Huge loss,” Kerr said of Moody (Twitter link via Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Moody will miss at least five games, with January 24 vs. Atlanta being the soonest he could possibly return. In a press release (via Twitter), the Warriors say Moody sustained a Grade 1 calf strain in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s blowout loss to New Orleans and classify the strain as mild.

Moody will join Gary Payton II (left hamstring strain) and Chris Paul (hand surgery) on Golden State’s list of injured players. What once looked like an area of strength — backcourt depth — will be further tested in the coming days. Rookie Brandin Podziemski and veteran Cory Joseph will likely receive an uptick in playing time with Moody out.

Still just 21 years old, Moody is averaging 8.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 18.0 MPG this season, with all of those figures representing career highs. The former 14th overall pick has appeared in 34 games in 2023/24, posting a .482/.358/.789 shooting line.

One report last week said Moody was looking for a more consistent role with Golden State, particularly after receiving three straight DNP-CDs. Moody tied his season high with 21 points in each of the past two games, playing 22 and 25 minutes, though Golden State lost both times.

The Warriors are currently 17-20, the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference. Amid their slide down the standings, they’ve been increasingly mentioned in recent trade rumors.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Trade Deadline, Thompson, Green, Kerr

January 11th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

There was talk about the need for change Wednesday night as the Warriors‘ season continued to spin out of control with an embarrassing home loss to the Pelicans, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The game was never close after Golden State allowed 46 points in the first quarter, and fans loudly expressed their displeasure as the team suffered its worst home loss in 17 years.

“You get to a point where you’re trying to explain it, trying to figure out what can change specifically that can help us,” Stephen Curry said. “Those conversations are happening in between games, in film sessions, in the locker room. But it’s headed in the opposite direction. I don’t know what to say about it. We’re not used to this vibe around our team. … It all sucks.”

Andrews points out that after Draymond Green was suspended four weeks ago, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the next 15-20 games would determine the course of the season. Wednesday marked the Warriors’ 14th straight game without Green, and they’ve fallen to 12th in the Western Conference standings at 17-20. Andrews notes that none of coach Steve Kerr’s lineup changes are working and he appeared to be out of answers after the latest loss.

“We are lacking confidence,” he said. “You get to a stage where you lose your belief.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Tim Kawakami of The Athletic lays out a blueprint for what the organization might do before the trade deadline arrives in four weeks. Kawakami expects management to remain committed to Curry as the centerpiece of the team, with a goal of finding the right pieces to go around him for next season. Andrew Wiggins is likely to be moved, according to Kawakami, even if Golden State has to attach a young player or a first-round pick to get someone to take his contract. He adds that the organization would prefer to hold onto its prospects, but Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are all looking like complementary players rather than future stars. Kawakami also suggests that the front office might be willing to gamble on a deal for Toronto’s Pascal Siakam if they don’t have to part with Kuminga, or they may seek a reliable big man to change their style of play.
Two long-time franchise staples might not have secure futures beyond this season, Kawakami adds in the same piece. He expects the Warriors to let Klay Thompson play out his contract and see if they can agree to terms in free agency this summer, and he speculates that the organization may no longer be counting on Green long-term after this year’s suspension issues.
Erik Spoelstra’s eight-year extension in Miami could affect negotiations with Kerr this offseason, states Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. He observes that Kerr is in position to demand a higher annual salary than the Heat gave to Spoelstra, but it’s not clear if management will be on board considering the team’s current trajectory.

Warriors Notes: Moody, Podziemski, Joseph, CP3, Siakam

January 6th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jonathan Kuminga‘s frustration with his fluctuating role was the bigger news this week, it sounds like he’s not the only Warriors youngster who has sought clarity on his place in the team’s rotation. According to Jason Dumas of KRON4 News (Twitter link), general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has been “directly asked” about the team’s plan for Moses Moody, who would also like a more consistent role.

“The people around Moses, they’re frustrated with the lack of having a role and the lack of consistency,” Dumas said during a subsequent radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter video link). “He’s in the rotation one day, he’s out of the rotation one day. For lack of a better term, he almost seems like the sacrificial lamb, so to speak. Whenever there’s a logjam, he’s gonna be the guy that falls out.

“From what I’ve been told, Moses loves the Bay Area and he loves playing for the Warriors, but I think it’s understandable that someone in his position with a lot of talent, young, would be frustrated and would want a clearer path to playing time, whether it be here or somewhere else.”

Moody was a DNP-CD for three consecutive games leading up to Friday’s contest vs. the Pistons. The third-year shooting guard received a standing ovation when he checked into that game in the fourth quarter, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), though he ultimately went scoreless in six minutes of action.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Chris Paul‘s hand injury will help create more regular minutes in the rotation for Moody, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Friday (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Kerr said that rookie Brandin Podziemski and veteran Cory Joseph will also get some additional ball-handling reps during Paul’s absence.
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic doesn’t expect Paul’s hand injury to have much of an impact on his trade value, even if it sidelines him beyond the February 8 deadline. As Thompson explains, if the Warriors decide to move CP3, they’d likely be sending him to a team that wants him more for his large expiring salary than for what he can provide on the court.
Appearing on a Bleacher Report live stream on Friday (Twitter video link), veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes said that rival executives view Golden State as a potential “dark horse” suitor in the Pascal Siakam sweepstakes.
Prior to Friday’s victory over Detroit, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer questioned some of the Warriors’ rotation decisions and took a deep dive into the club’s recent struggles, while Marcus Thompson II covered similar ground in a story for The Athletic.

Draymond Green Likely Facing Another Suspension Following Tuesday Ejection

December 13th, 2023 at 7:15am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from a game for the third time this season on Tuesday, earning a flagrant 2 foul for striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head during the third quarter of Phoenix’s win (Twitter video link via TSN Sports).

The NBA is expected to review the incident before the Warriors’ game against the Clippers on Thursday and will likely suspend Green for a second time this fall, according to Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. The former Defensive Player of the Year was previously suspended five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock, with the league citing Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts” when announcing that penalty.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.

“… You guys have known me long enough, if I intended to do something, I am not apologizing. But I did make contact with him, so I do apologize. … It’s a hard hit.”

Although the blow sent Nurkic to the floor, the big man was able to finish the game. After the victory, he told reporters that the play had “nothing to do with basketball,” while Suns head coach Frank Vogel referred to it as “reckless (and) dangerous,” according to Andrews.

“I’m sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that,” Vogel said. “I didn’t like it. The refs did what they had to do. The league will do what they have to do.”

Another suspension for Green could result in more playing time for young players like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and perhaps Trayce Jackson-Davis, as well as veterans Dario Saric and Kevon Looney.

Both Kuminga and Saric, as well as rookie Brandin Podziemski, were part of Golden State’s closing lineup on Tuesday, alongside Stephen Curry and Chris Paul, with Green unavailable and starters Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Looney on the bench.

Thompson, whose scoring and shooting numbers this season are well below his career norms, told reporters after the game that it was “strange” to be benched down the stretch, but he didn’t question head coach Steve Kerr‘s decision.

“I played like crap,” Thompson said, per Andrews. “If you’ve ever played basketball before, you know what you are capable of. You always want to be out there competing. That’s just facts … but I deserved to be benched. I’ve been playing like crap. Twenty games in, I haven’t found a rhythm.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Bronny, Divac, Kings, Wiggins, Moody

December 1st, 2023 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

A little over four months after suffering cardiac arrest, USC freshman Bronny James has been cleared to make a full return to basketball, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the expectation is that James will resume practicing with the team next week and make his NCAA debut not long after that.

Discussing the good news on Thursday, star forward LeBron James – Bronny’s father – told reporters that if his son’s USC debut occurs on the same day as a Lakers game, he intends to skip his own game to watch Bronny.

“Whenever he’s cleared and ready to have his first game, I already told my teammates that if they play on the same day we’re playing, I’m going to have to catch them the next game,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Family over everything … But definitely got to see Bronny’s first game whenever he’s cleared and ready to go.”

Teammate Anthony Davis said on Thursday that James has the support of the Lakers’ locker room if he missed a game to attend Bronny’s debut, but as John Hollinger of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), it likely won’t come to that. After this Saturday, the Lakers and Trojans won’t play on the same day until December 28, so as long as Bronny’s timeline doesn’t get pushed back, he’ll probably suit up for USC before then.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Vlade Divac, a former player and head of basketball operations for the Kings, has formally returned to the organization in the role of team ambassador, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick explains, Divac’s position is on the business side of the franchise and doesn’t include any basketball operations influence. The former All-Star center is focused on “community, fan, and business outreach,” per Amick.
Seerat Sohi of The Ringer considers whether the Kings still have more room for internal improvement or whether the front office might feel pressure to make a trade to raise the team’s ceiling. If they go the latter route, the Kings will have to make sure they find a systemic fit who doesn’t overlap with the club’s existing talent, Sohi writes.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins injured his right index finger when he slammed a car door on it on Thursday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Although Wiggins missed Thursday’s game, head coach Steve Kerr believes his absence will be short-term, Slater adds.
Third-year wing Moses Moody started in Wiggins’ place on Thursday and logged a season-high 28 minutes, scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Moody has earned an opportunity to play a larger role for the Warriors, argues Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link).

Warriors Notes: Moody, Thompson, Green, Paul, Payton

November 29th, 2023 at 5:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

Moses Moody hit several big shots in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, but he wasn’t on the floor for the closing minutes as the Warriors fell to the Kings. That’s something coach Steve Kerr may have to change if the third-year guard remains productive, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Moody scored 11 points in the first seven minutes of the quarter, making all four of his shot attempts. However, Kerr opted to replace him with Andrew Wiggins with 4:26 remaining.

“Moses was awesome tonight,” Kerr said. “We needed (Wiggins) on the floor for defense against (De’Aaron) Fox, and we decided to go with Klay (Thompson) and our vets. We thought about keeping him out there. But we made the move that we made.”

Kerr’s loyalty to his veterans cost the Warriors an important division game and a possibly a chance to reach the in-season tournament quarterfinals, according to Marcus Thompson. With Moody and rookie Brandin Podziemski both playing well, Thompson believes Kerr will eventually have to trust them with a game on the line.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Stephen Curry remains as productive as ever, but Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are no longer playing at a championship level, contends Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. He notes that Thompson has been forcing shots and can’t stay in front of quicker players on defense, while Green’s intensity has been out of control lately, resulting in a five-game suspension for an incident with Rudy Gobert and a near ejection for mocking the officials in Tuesday’s game. O’Connor’s recommendation is for the Warriors to shake up their roster with a trade, using Chris Paul‘s salary and some of their young talent. He suggests targets such as the Raptors‘ Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Bulls‘ Alex Caruso, the Wizards‘ Kyle Kuzma, or possibly Lauri Markkanen from the Jazz or Kawhi Leonard or Paul George from the Clippers if those teams continue to struggle.
Golden State could be heading toward a difficult place with Thompson if he can’t shake his early-season slump, observes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Thompson has an expiring contract, and if he can’t prove that he’s worth the four-year, $220MM extension that he reportedly expects, his only choices next summer will be to either leave the Warriors or re-sign for significantly less.
A pair of injuries added to the team’s woes in Tuesday’s loss, notes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Paul was ruled out with lower left leg soreness shortly after halftime, and Gary Payton II hobbled to the locker room with a right calf injury late in the third quarter.

Warriors Notes: Saric, Green, Kuminga, Moody, Jackson-Davis

November 25th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors kept their chances alive to advance in the in-season tournament with a win over San Antonio on Friday night, but it might not have happened without another strong performance from Dario Saric, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Saric came off the bench to hit four three-pointers and score 20 points in 26 minutes, along with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. He has reached the 20-point mark in all three of Golden State’s tournament games.

Saric has been a tremendous find in free agency for a team that needed size but didn’t have many resources available to spend. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so he’ll be back on the open market in 2024.

“We gave him a hard (free agency) pitch,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He asked me, ‘How much am I going to play? Am I going to play?’ He knew this was a year he slipped through the cracks, free agency-wise, and needed to be in a good spot to show what he could do. This is definitely the spot. He’s playing so well. He’s clearly a player who is going to command a big salary next summer.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Draymond Green‘s return from his five-game suspension will create some difficult decisions for Kerr, Slater observes in the same piece. Saric is playing too well to cut his minutes and Kevon Looney is a fixture in the frontcourt, so that may lead to less playing time for Jonathan Kuminga. Although Kuminga wasn’t outstanding during Green’s absence, Slater notes that he played an important role in Friday’s win, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Kerr made a change to his starting lineup Friday, Slater adds, replacing Chris Paul with Moses Moody. Even though he came off the bench, Paul logged 29 minutes compared to Moody’s 17. “Just wanted to change some of the combinations,” Kerr explained. “We were looking to get some different guys together and some apart.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis is a huge fan of the NIL system, which enabled him to amass more than $1MM in sponsorships in college and remain at Indiana long enough to polish his skills for the NBA, per Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Kerr is happy to have a rare rookie with four years of NCAA experience. “He has (126) college games under his belt, so you don’t have to teach him a lot of the things you’d normally expect to have to teach a rookie,” Kerr said. “He’s another guy I’d like to play more because he’s a very good player. I just haven’t been able to find the minutes.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Klay, Curry, Podziemski, More

November 15th, 2023 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s in-season tournament game between the Warriors and Timberwolves got chippy before either team had scored a single point.

As Kendra Andrews of ESPN details, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tied up battling for rebounding positioning early in the first quarter, then continued to grab and shove each other on the way back up the court, prompting referees to stop play and Wolves center Rudy Gobert to try to intervene. Warriors forward Draymond Green rushed in and put Gobert in a headlock before players were separated (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

McDaniels and Thompson were each given two technical fouls and ejected from the game, while Green was also thrown out after being assessed with a flagrant 2 foul. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays (via Twitter), official Tyler Ford explained after the game that the referees viewed Gobert as a peacemaker. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t agree with that ruling or the decision to eject Thompson.

“There is no way Klay should have been ejected. That was ridiculous,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “I was upset about that. As far as the Draymond piece of it, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck. That’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”

McDaniels downplayed his role in the altercation following a Minnesota victory, telling reporters that after Thompson grabbed him, he was “trying to defend myself and get him off me.” McDaniels said he was “laughing” as it happened and that he didn’t expect the situion to escalate the way it did, adding, “I guess it was a bigger deal to (Thompson).”

Gobert, meanwhile, referred to Green’s actions as “clown behavior” and offered an explanation for the Warriors star’s early ejection: “Every time Steph (Curry) doesn’t play, (Green) doesn’t want to play without his guy Steph, so he does anything he can to get ejected.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

While a suspension seems extremely unlikely for Gobert, McDaniels, or Thompson, it’s possible Green – who has a history of facing fines and suspensions for on-court physicality – will face further punishment. “I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done,” Gobert said after the game in reference to an additional penalty for Green, according to Andrews.
Kerr said the results of an MRI on Curry’s sore right knee were “good news” and that the two-time MVP is unlikely to be sidelined for an extended period, Slater writes for The Athletic. “Nothing alarming. So I would say he’s day to day and we’ll see,” Kerr said. “We’ll just have an update each day and let you know what’s going on. But it won’t be long. If he misses another game or two, whatever, it’s not going to be anything long-term.”
The Warriors’ rotation without Curry, Thompson, and Green was “jumbled up,” Slater notes, but it gave Brandin Podziemski a chance to play a career-high 39 minutes. The rookie became the first Warrior besides Curry this season to score more than 20 points in a game, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dario Saric, who got his second start as a Warrior, also surpassed the 20-point mark, contributing 21.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic takes a closer look at Podziemski’s breakout game, suggesting that the No. 19 overall pick played with the sort of confidence and toughness that Golden State had been looking for. “He’s going to play,” Kerr said of Podziemski, who had previously logged 52 total minutes in six appearances. “He’s going to play every night. He’s earned that. He was incredible tonight. He’s been great in practice. There’s something unique about him at that size to rebound the way he does. He had seven tonight. He’s always in the right spot. He’s fearless. He connects the game. He plays the way we want to play. The ball moves when he’s out there. He’s attacking at the right times, he’s cutting at the right times. Defensively he’s really good. He’s a damn good player, so he’s going to play.”
Even though the Warriors were without their three stars for nearly all of Tuesday’s game, Jonathan Kuminga only played 16 minutes and Moses Moody just 14, according to Slater, who says neither player has staked out a bigger role in the rotation so far this season. The path to increased minutes for the two former lottery picks may be further complicated by Podziemski’s rise, Slater adds.