SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors' agreement to a three-year, $39 million contract extension with Moses Moody on Sunday night is a win for Golden State heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, according to Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

The fact that Moody brings in $39 million, everything is guaranteed, is of course also a victory for the 22-year-old. The agreement before Monday's deadline for rookie contract extensions theoretically shows the Warriors' willingness to invest in the No. 14 overall pick in the 2021 draft after three years in and out of the rotation. But Moody also just committed to the Warriors before coach Steve Kerr can really say the same thing.

Moody was praised for his maturity from his rookie year through the end of his final impressive preseason. His work ethic was never questioned. When he is given opportunities, good things usually happen for the Warriors.

But as Moody capped the best overall preseason of any Warriors this year, he also became the 11th player to take the field for them on Friday in a stunning win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which Golden State was without Steph Curry reached.

“We have a roster full of guys capable of being in the rotation,” Kerr said after the win when asked about Moody's standing. “I have some really tough decisions to make on Wednesday night in Portland. … There are going to be some, no matter how you slice it, we’re going to have to leave some good players out of the rotation.”

Kerr's starting lineup in the Warriors' preseason finale consisted of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis, with newcomer De'Anthony Melton playing in place of Curry, who missed the game with a sprained right index finger. Reigning first-team All-Rookie selection Brandin Podziemski was the first player to come off the bench, followed by offseason addition Buddy Hield and defensive star Gary Payton II, before Kyle Anderson – another newcomer in the offseason – and veteran Kevon Looney came into play.

A total of 10 players were in action in the first quarter. Moody wasn't one of them. He started the second quarter and went a plus-5 with four points and two rebounds in just under seven minutes in the quarter. Moody scored 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench.

Despite missing all three of his 3-point attempts, Moody was 5 of 6 on 2-point shots and a perfect 4 of 4 from the free throw line.

In the first three years of his career, Moody averaged 5.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting and 36.2 percent from three while playing 14.3 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 8.1 points per game last season. After being pushed this preseason to make quicker decisions with a quicker shot and more confidence from distance, Moody averaged a team-high 15.5 points per game while playing just over 20 minutes per game. He shot 39.4 percent on 3-pointers and ranked second in the entire NBA with 93 total points.

The contract Moody agreed to covers the same years and total amount as Orlando Magic point guard Cole Anthony, the No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft, last offseason. Anthony had better scoring stats than Moody in each player's first three seasons, but Moody also played 2,304 fewer minutes than Anthony in his first three years with the Warriors, despite appearing in nine more games than him.

Josh Green, the No. 18 pick in the 2020 draft, is a better comparison to Moody. The Dallas Mavericks signed Green to a three-year, $41 million contract last offseason. Both are considered 3-and-D players. Green's 5.8 points per game on 36.8 percent from three in his first three seasons is comparable to Moody's while playing four more minutes per game than him. Moody's 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per 36 minutes is ahead of Green's 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per 36 minutes before he signed his contract last October.

In the two games Moody started this preseason, he averaged 18.5 points on 44.4 percent shooting (12-of-27) and 36.4 percent on three-point range while also going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. He's built to fit the type of team the Warriors want to be, with defense first and 3-point players second. Signing Moody for four more seasons, including the final year of his rookie contract this season, is a victory on and off the field.

Moody, a pillar of the community, won the Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area's Emerging Leader Award on Oct. 16 after giving back a lot during the offseason. Moody has done his part and shown over the last three weeks that he is ready for a larger role from Kerr. In return, the Warriors paid him life-changing money that could easily turn into a very team-friendly contract in the short and long term.

James Wiseman is now on his third team, the Indiana Pacers, and is still hoping to find his feet in the NBA. Jordan Poole and Patrick Baldwin wear Washington Wizards jerseys. The Warriors need a first-round pick to stay, and Moody is their latest case study. As of this writing, Jonathan Kuminga, who was taken by the Warriors seven picks ahead of Moody in the same draft, has not agreed to a deal before Monday's deadline as of this writing.

“Trust my agent, trust the people I’m paying to focus on this and get the best out of this situation. I can do what I can do, which is play basketball,” Moody said last week when asked about his contract extension. “I did that.”

His piece was in charge of everything, and the people at Moody's were taking care of their business. Days before the regular season opener for Moody's fourth professional season, the Warriors have already picked up their first win after an undefeated 6-0 preseason.

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