Golden State Warriors wing Moses Moody has been diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, ending his season after an MRI confirmation on Tuesday.
The injury struck late in the Warriors’ 137-131 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Moody, returning from a 10-game absence due to a right wrist sprain, delivered a standout performance with 23 points and three steals. His third steal came against Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg with just over a minute left in overtime. Moody pushed the ball ahead for what looked like an easy transition dunk, but his left knee buckled on the plant, sending him crashing to the floor under the basket.
Play paused as Moody clutched his leg in agony. Teammates and staff rushed to his side, and arena workers brought out a stretcher. Veteran forward Draymond Green shared an emotional embrace with Moody before he was wheeled off. Warriors director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini later pushed him out of the arena in a wheelchair. Moody returned to the Bay Area with the team for the MRI that sealed the diagnosis.
Surgery is scheduled for Thursday, with a long rehabilitation ahead that could linger into next season. At 23, Moody was enjoying a breakout year, posting career highs around 12 points per game in limited minutes during his fifth NBA campaign. He signed a three-year, $39 million extension last fall, cementing his role in Golden State’s rotation.
Coach Steve Kerr praised Moody’s impact in the Dallas game, calling him a dedicated worker and great teammate who elevated the defense in the second half. Green echoed that sentiment postgame, noting Moody’s defensive spark that helped shift momentum during a key fourth-quarter run.
This marks another blow in a brutal stretch of injuries for the Warriors. Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in early January and remains sidelined. Stephen Curry has missed 23 straight games with a right knee problem, while starting center Al Horford deals with a calf strain. The team has dropped 16 of its last 23 contests, slipping to 34-38 and 10th in the Western Conference.
With Moody out and other key pieces recovering slowly, Golden State faces depth challenges down the stretch. The focus now shifts to piecing together wins without its emerging wing, while planning for a tougher road back to contention next year amid Curry’s advancing age.
Moses Moody, who exited last night’s win at Dallas due to a left knee injury with 58.5 seconds remaining in overtime, underwent an MRI today. The MRI confirmed a torn left patellar tendon.
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 24, 2026
Moses will undergo surgery later this week and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26… pic.twitter.com/81TEZ4JvvP
