Moses Moody Doesn't Need More Shots. He Needs His Knee Back.
Moody's case was always built on efficiency, not volume, and that's exactly why a left knee that keeps him out until December costs Golden State more than his per-game numbers suggest.
Moody shot 40.1 percent on 6.3 three-point attempts a game last season, elite volume shooting for a player used in just 17.4 percent of Golden State's offense. A left knee injury now has him out until an estimated December 1 return, erasing the start of a season where that shot matters more than ever.
The shooting profile that actually plays
Moody played 60 games last season at 25.7 minutes, averaging 12.1 points on 44.0 percent shooting and 40.1 percent from three on 6.3 attempts a night. That volume from deep, at that accuracy, is rare for a player who isn't the first or second option. His 17.4 percent usage says the Warriors aren't running offense through him; his 60.0 percent true shooting says they don't need to.
A plus player on a minus team
Golden State finished last season with a 113.8 offensive rating and a 114.4 defensive rating, a net mark of minus-0.5. Moody's own split ran the other way: a 111.1 offensive rating, a 108.9 defensive rating, and a plus-2.2 mark of his own. He scored less efficiently than his teammates as a group, but the defense was sharply better whenever he was the one on the floor.
The lineups back it up, barely
Golden State's most-used five with Moody last season — Curry, Butler, Green, Moody and Post — played 125 minutes and finished minus-6.5. Swap Post for Richard and the same group went plus-7.7 over 58 minutes; swap Curry for Podziemski and it was plus-2.3 over 64. Every sample is small, but two of the three combinations outscored opponents, and the exception carried the most minutes.
Out until December, and what comes next
Moody is out with a left knee injury, with an estimated return of December 1 — missing the preseason and the October 21 opener at the Lakers along with more than a month of the season itself. He's making $12.5 million this year and $13.4 million next, modest money for a 24-year-old shooting this well. He doesn't need a bigger role to matter. He needs to be healthy enough to keep taking — and making — the same shot he's always taken.
Why is Moses Moody out for the Warriors?
Moody is dealing with a left knee injury and has an estimated return date of December 1, 2026, which will keep him out of the preseason and the start of the regular season.
What is Moses Moody's contract with the Warriors?
Moody is set to earn $12.5 million in 2026-27 and $13.4 million in 2027-28.
