Following their season-ending loss to the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, the Golden State Warriors‘ top brass is turning its attention towards the 2024-25 campaign with the aim to return to the pinnacle after a disappointing 10th-placed finish. The Warriors front office is tasked with addressing the futures of veterans like Klay Thompson, who’ll test free agency in the summer, and Chris Paul, and they’ll also have to ponder whether the young players on the roster can become franchise cornerstones.
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During exit interviews on Thursday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was asked about the team’s plan for one of their young stars, former first-round pick Moses Moody. He responded,
“The good and bad with the situation with Moses [Moody] is he’s improved, he’s gotten a lot better. And top of it, any issues with him playing is frankly a result of our depth, which is also a good thing.
Pointing out that the 21-year-old didn’t feature in as many games as the management would have expected, the Warriors GM further added,
“There hasn’t been a clear enough path…I think it’s really important coming into year four for him that there is some reasonable playing time available where he can impact our team and be out there and continue to improve.”
During the 2023-24 season, Moody averaged 8.1 points, and three rebounds in only 17.5 minutes per game. His impact on the defensive end was palpable. Per Statmuse, with Moody on the court, the Warriors had a defensive rating of 114.4, and without him, it shot up to 122.
The Warriors are a better defensive unit with the young guard on the court and his output on the offensive end has also improved with every passing season. The Warriors have noticed the improvement and will likely give him more playing time next year.
Warriors’ massive offseason
While the Warriors had a bitterly disappointing campaign in the 2023-24 season, they’ll take solace in the meteoric rise of their young stars, including Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. While there are question marks surrounding the futures of Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, and potentially Andrew Wiggins, the franchise knows it can rely on these three young stars to fill the gaps that the departure of their veteran would leave.
The Warriors are projected to be $2.8 million above the luxury cap threshold without retaining Thompson. They’ll likely waive Paul and create $30 million in cap space and could even trade Wiggins to free up more salary. The Warriors have been vocal in their intention to re-sign Thompson, but it’ll likely cost a fortune.
The Warriors’ cap situation suggests that players like Moody, Podziemski, and Jackson-Davis will feature heavily next season. However, there’s plenty of time until the 2024-25 campaign commences and the roster could look a lot different before the season tips off.
