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DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 23: Moses Moody #4 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at American Airlines Center on March 23, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have been pummeled by injuries this season. Jimmy Butler tore his ACL, ending his season. Stephen Curry has been out for the last month with a knee injury of his own. Kristaps Porzingis has been in and out of the lineup.
Right now, they sit 10th in the Western Conference standings. They will almost certainly stay in that position, meaning they will have to play in two play-in games to enjoy the postseason. On Monday night, Moses Moody suffered a non-contact injury that forced him to be carted off.
The injury didn’t look good. Even Steve Kerr acknowledged that postgame. Now, they know that it is, in fact, a season-ending injury.
Warriors Guard Moses Moody Suffers Torn Patella
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Moody has suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. He was having the best season of his career prior to the injury, but now it’s over. This is a serious injury that will require a long rehab process, and it’s unlikely he will play much, if at all, next year.
This is a serious injury that very few players have been able to come back from and be the same. Victor Oladipo had the same injury when he was an All-NBA player with the Pacers. He was never the same. Jeremy Lin had the same injury when he was with the Nets, as well.
The timeline of the injury varies, but it is usually a 9-12 month recovery period. This is the kind of injury that can sap explosiveness from a player, as it did Oladipo. Caron Butler suffered this injury and was still effective for a couple of years after his injury, though.
One thing that Moody has going for him is his age. He is still just 23 years old, so he is young enough that perhaps he can make it back from this. Moody had just returned from a 10-game absence before suffering this devastating injury.
Golden State Will Need to Find a Replacement Next Season
With it being unlikely that Moody will return next year, the Warriors will need to find his replacement. The rest of this season doesn’t matter much, as they likely won’t advance deep in the postseason, if they make it at all. They have just the 19th-best offense in the league right now.
Replacing Moody will be tough. He was the best player off the bench that the Warriors had, as he was a 40 percent shooter from beyond the 3-point arc this season. He just signed a contract extension last offseason, so he will be able to handle himself financially.
Curry and Butler should both be healthy next season. That will give Golden State one last chance at a title. For Moody, he just needs to set a goal of playing basketball at a high level again. This was once considered a career-ender, and not many players have been better after suffering this injury.
The Warriors are certainly disappointed this happened to such a good, young player.