The Golden State Warriors have been battered, bruised, and beaten down. They’ve lost Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL. They’ve lost Stephen Curry to a patellar tendon injury. They’ve watched Kristaps Porzingis struggle to stay upright. They’ve dropped eight of their last nine games and find themselves clinging to the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
But on Sunday, a sliver of good news emerged.
Moses Moody, the steady 3-and-D wing who has been sidelined since March 2 with a right wrist sprain, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s not a return. Not yet. But for a team that has run out of healthy bodies and positive developments, it’s something.
The Moody Injury
Moody went down against the Clippers on March 2 and has missed 10 straight games. The Warriors have been cautious with his recovery, initially expecting a shorter timeline. But the wrist sprain proved stubborn, and progress has been slow.
On Wednesday, coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that Moody wasn’t as close to returning as they’d hoped. He noted that Moody had been practicing left-handed, trying to stay in shape while letting the right wrist heal.
Now, just four days later, the calculus has changed.
The Upgrade
According to Warriors beat writer Anthony Slater, Moody has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game in Dallas. Under NBA rules, “questionable” indicates a 50 percent chance of playing.
It’s an aggressive timeline. The Warriors have been cautious with injuries all season, but with the playoffs looming and the roster depleted, they’re clearly feeling the urgency.
Moody was averaging 11.9 points per game this season before the injury, shooting 44.1% from the field and 40.2% from three. He had become the starter at small forward since early December, providing the kind of two-way stability that the Warriors have desperately missed.
The Rotation Reality
The Warriors have lost eight of their last nine games. They’re 33-38, clinging to the 10th seed. The play-in tournament is all but guaranteed, but seeding matters, and the Warriors are running out of time to build momentum.
Moody’s return—even if it comes with limitations—would give Kerr another option in a rotation that has been stretched thin. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play Monday in Dallas after missing time. Al Horford remains out. Stephen Curry is still sidelined but reportedly close.
The Warriors are trying to stay afloat until their stars return. Getting Moody back would help.
The Kerr Perspective
Kerr has been candid about the team’s struggles and the need for improvement, even as they wait for injured players to return.
“We’re going to be in the play-in one way or the other,” Kerr said. “So we have to prepare, we have to be prepared for when we get guys back, for when Steph’s back, and Moses and Al. If we are prepared when they get back, we can do some damage, we can go on a run.”
But he also acknowledged the work that needs to be done.
“But we can’t have game-plan mistakes. We have got to build better habits. Boxing out, taking care of the ball in transition, taking care of the ball in transition, that sort of thing.”
The Moody Factor
Moody’s return won’t solve all of the Warriors’ problems. He’s not a superstar. He’s not going to score 30 points a night. But he’s a reliable defender, a capable shooter, and a player who understands his role.
In a season defined by chaos and inconsistency, that stability matters.
He’s also the kind of player who can step in without disrupting the offense. He knows where to be, when to cut, how to space the floor. For a team that has struggled with turnovers and execution, that’s a valuable commodity.
What’s Next
The Warriors face the Mavericks on Monday in Dallas. It’s the final game of a brutal six-game road trip. They’ll return home after that, with the play-in tournament looming and the regular season winding down.
If Moody plays, it will be his first game since March 2. He’ll be rusty, probably on a minutes restriction, and certainly not at full strength. But he’ll be another body, another option, another piece of a rotation that has been running on fumes.
And for a team that has lost eight of nine, that’s enough.
The Bottom Line
The Warriors are battered. They’ve lost their stars. They’ve dropped in the standings. They’ve watched their season slip away.
But on Sunday, they got a reminder that it’s not over yet.
Moses Moody is questionable for Monday. It’s not a guarantee, and it’s not a cure-all. But it’s a step in the right direction. And for a team that has been going in the wrong direction for weeks, that’s a welcome change.