LeBron James is chasing what his camp describes as “meaningful, competitive basketball” in the next chapter of his career and his agent Rich Paul has made clear that financial considerations are secondary to that pursuit. With roughly 27 teams initially expressing interest, the field has narrowed to around six serious contenders, and the frontrunner status continues to shift with each new report. The Golden State Warriors remain firmly in contention, and the ripple effects of that pursuit are being felt throughout their roster, including among players who don’t yet know what their own futures look like.

Moses Moody is one such player. The 24-year-old forward suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee back in March, and his summer has been split between rehabilitation and fielding questions about trade speculation. Despite sharing an agent, Rich Paul, with the man at the center of all this activity, Moody says he’s not losing sleep over the uncertainty.

“I’m curious, so I had some conversations just trying to figure out what’s going on,” Moody said in an interview with The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II. “But I don’t call Rich every day. I’m not in it like that because I ain’t got nothing to do with how it’s gonna go down. So I’m more so just watching. … Whenever something needs to be talked about is when it will.”

Now roughly four months post-surgery, Moody has not yet returned to the court but has progressed to underwater treadmill work as part of his recovery. Part of what’s driving his curiosity is that the Warriors organization has not reached out to him directly, a silence that has left him tracking his own situation largely through the same trade rumors everyone else is reading.

The financial mechanics are straightforward: Moody is owed $12.5 million next season, but his return isn’t projected until February or March at the earliest. That salary limits what Golden State can offer James – currently as little as a $3.9 million veteran minimum, making Moody’s contract a potential trade chip.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks laid out one scenario:

“A Moody trade would put the Warriors $38 million below the first apron hard cap. If Draymond Green signed in the $20 million to $22 million range, the Warriors would then have the flexibility to sign players to the veterans minimum and still offer $6 million to James.”

The catch is that no team will simply absorb the contract of an injured player outright. Any Moody trade would likely require the Warriors to attach draft compensation to make the deal palatable to a receiving team.

Another injured teammate speaks amid Warriors’ LeBron James’ pursuit

Before Moody suffered his injury, Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in his right knee in February.

Like Moody, his return is projected for sometime around February or March of next season. Butler’s situation is financially weightier- he’s in the final season of a two-year, $110 million deal, carrying a cap figure of approximately $56.8 million for a player who won’t suit up until deep into the season.

Unsurprisingly, his name has surfaced in connection with a potential trade for Anthony Davis, who is now with the Washington Wizards.

Reports emerged that the Warriors want a LeBron James and Steph Curry partnership, and to strengthen the duo, AD’s team came up. Reporter Jovan Buha further stated that the Wizards should “strongly consider” Jimmy Butler’s expiring contract plus two or three firsts.

The long-term flexibility is out of the picture as prioritizing Stephen Curry’s championship window is the goal. In fact, Butler was ready for the idea if any trade leads to leave the Bay Area.

“You talking about being traded?” Butler said to the media. “It wouldn’t be the first time. [But] it’s good to know that I’m wanted here. If I get traded, I get traded. Their job is to win. Can I help them do that? Yes. If they feel like somebody else can help them do that on a quicker timetable than whenever I come back, then they got to go and do that, but as of right now, I’m here. I don’t take that for granted. I’m grateful, but if I’m going to be here whenever I get back, we’re going to be just fine.”

The Warriors’ pursuit of LeBron James remains active, but their limited cap flexibility means difficult decisions are unavoidable. Both Moody and Butler recovering from serious injuries, uncertain of their standing are watching the same offseason unfold, waiting to learn where they fit in whatever Golden State builds next.