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With Warriors guard Moses Moody doubtful for Golden State’s 2025-26 NBA season opener due to a calf strain, when could the fifth-year pro make his debut?

Stanford Medicine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Geoffrey Abrams, MD, provided some expert analysis on what Dub Nation can expect from Moody’s injury — which Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team isn’t “too concerned” about — as he works his way back to the court.

“If the team is describing it as a minor muscle strain, it’s probably … some microscopic tearing and minor partial tearing,” Abrams told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “The good news about that, obviously, it’s on the lesser severe end of the spectrum, and typical return-to-play timelines are a couple weeks or so for these more minor muscle grade strains.”

Kerr said this past Tuesday, Oct. 14, that Moody would be reevaluated in a week, with the Warriors set to open their new season against the Los Angeles Lakers this Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. A return timeline of a couple weeks, as noted by Abrams, hopefully would put Moody back in Kerr’s rotation by Golden State’s Oct. 28 game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center, their fifth contest of the season.

There are several hurdles Moody will have to clear before that happens, Abrams explained.

“Obviously, the Warriors are a great professional organization and they’ve got top notch medical personnel, so they’re going to run him through the professional protocol and things like that,” Abrams said. “In terms of returning to play, he basically has to be able to participate in full practices 100 percent, and before he even gets to that, he has to demonstrate he’s got strength, range of motion, flexibility of the muscle and be able to do the things that are required for an NBA athlete, of course, before they even throw him into full practices.

“And then, once he’s comfortable with full practices and jumping and running up and down the court, that’s when you start to think about getting back into games. Sometimes … there’s situations where they may limit minutes initially before throwing him back into full pre-injury participation. But that just depends on a variety of different circumstances.”

After entering the Warriors’ starting lineup late last season en route to the NBA playoffs, Moody missed Golden State’s final three preseason contests this month with his calf issue.

As long as the Warriors don’t rush Moody back, Abrams noted, there’s little chance that the calf strain impacts Moody’s play moving forward, and the chance of an Achilles tear, as has been seen in countless NBA stars recently, is minimal.

“Certainly re-injury is also sometimes a possibility, but that’s why you go through the protocol is really to reduce that risk and not put him out there before he’s ready, which I’m sure the staff will do,” Abrams said.

Moody has proven himself as a valuable member of the Warriors’ lineup, and Kerr certainly hopes to have the 23-year-old back sooner rather than later.

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The Giants appear to have found their next manager.

San Francisco is “closing in” on hiring Tennessee coach Tony Vitello to lead the team for the 2026 MLB season, The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal reported in a shared column published Saturday, citing industry sources.

The Athletic reached out to the Giants, who had not yet responded to a request for comment at the time this article was written. Vitello told The Athletic via text message, “There is nothing to confirm.”

Vitello has been on Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey’s radar for a while, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic. Meanwhile, Texas Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, who was another frontrunner for the job, recently pulled himself out of the running.

Tony Vitello has been on Buster Poseyâ€s radar for a while, and sources have said Posey kept circling back to him during the search this month. Nick Hundley was the other early frontrunner but I heard he pulled out of the running recently. Update here from The Athletic: https://t.co/tGAeyGUvGd

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) October 18, 2025

Vitello has not yet coached at the professional level after spending more than the last two decades working in the college ranks. He had stints as an assistant at Missouri (2003-10), TCU (2011-13) and Arkansas (2014-17) before being hired as Tennessee’s coach in June 2017.

If hired by the Giants, Vitello would become the first manager in MLB history hired directly from the college ranks with no professional baseball experience.

The decision on whether or not San Francisco will hire Vitello will come in the next 24 to 72 hours, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Pete Thamel reported Saturday, citing sources, as the two sides attempt to reach a deal. Passan also reported, citing sources, the buyout on Vitelloâ€s contract at Tennessee is $3 million

The decision on whether Tennessee coach Tony Vitello will be the next manager of the San Francisco Giants is expected to come in the next 24 to 72 hours, sources tell me and @PeteThamel. Vitello has emerged as the top target of the Giants, but the sides have yet to reach a deal.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 18, 2025

In eight seasons with the Volunteers, Vitello led the program to a 341-131 record with two SEC regular-season and tournament titles. He also led them to their first national championship during the 2024 season.

After another disappointing campaign, the Giants parted ways with Bob Melvin last month.

It now appears Buster Posey, entering his second season running baseball operations in San Francisco, isn’t wasting any time filling the void as he hopes Vitello can help turn things around.

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The Flyers didn’t play a good game against a top team and the result showed it.

They fell to the Jets, 5-2, Thursday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Owen Tippett drew the Flyers within 2-1 in the middle stanza. But Winnipeg responded just 1:21 minutes later with a goal off a whacky bounce to send the Flyers into second intermission trailing by two.

“I thought Tip was probably our only guy that played well tonight,” head coach Rick Tocchet said. “Then we give them that goal, that was a killer.”

About midway through the third period, Mark Scheifele put the next dagger in the Flyers with his second goal of the night, this one on the power play.

“I think it just comes down to execution,” Tippett said. “I don’t think they did anything special. It just comes down to execution and they buried on their chances and we didn’t.”

Matvei Michkov picked up a late goal before the Jets tacked on an empty-netter.

“We made some mistakes, for sure,” Travis Konecny said. “There was definitely opportunity there. I think they came out flat and so did we. It was not how we wanted to start the game. Regroup, put it aside.”

The Flyers (1-2-1) have dropped three of their first four games.

“It’s the fourth game of the year,” Tocchet said. “I know coaches say it all the time, but we can learn from this.”

The schedule hasn’t been easy. The Flyers have faced the two-time defending champion Panthers twice, a Hurricanes team that has made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and a Jets club that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season.

“It’s a tough stretch,” Tocchet said Tuesday. “You’ve got to play them eventually. We’ve got some quality opponents right away. There’s no easy game in the NHL.

“We go from the Stanley Cup champs to the Presidents’ Trophy champs. It is a tall order, but even in practice today, I see guys want these moments. … We’re looking for big moments from players. But in the meantime, you have to have the small moments to add up to the big ones.”

The Flyers don’t see the Jets (3-1-0) again until April 11 when the clubs meet at Canada Life Centre.

• At morning skate, Tocchet said the Flyers would be in trouble if they committed turnovers against a team like Winnipeg.

The Flyers had a bad one lead directly to a Jets goal in the second period. Nikita Grebenkin couldn’t handle a pretty low-key pass from Travis Sanheim. Winnipeg pounced on the mishap as Scheifele blasted a shot past Samuel Ersson to put the Flyers down 2-0.

It was a critical momentum swing because the Flyers had just come up empty on a power play.

“Winnipeg kind of played kitty by the door and they waited for their chances,” Tocchet said.

The Flyers Postgame Live crew broke down the team’s 5-2 loss Thursday night to the Jets.

• Ersson was not particularly sharp and the Flyers weren’t, either.

The netminder surrendered four goals on 14 shots.

The Jets opened the scoring 5:45 minutes into the action when Vladislav Namestnikov buried a rebound at the doorstep. Before Winnipeg got the puck in deep, it looked like Jett Luchanko had an opportunity to clear the defensive zone, but he was quickly pressured and lost the puck.

“They made a good play, I’ve just got to be able to advance the puck,” Luchanko said. “They were able to pounce on us from there.”

In the second period, the Jets countered that Tippett goal when a shot ricocheted off Adam Ginning’s stick and then clanged off Noah Cates’ backside to make it 3-1. On the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast, Ginning could be seen saying “no way” after the puck went into the net.

“Ginning makes a good block and then it takes a bad bounce,” Ersson said. “It’s a little sh–ty goal.”

Connor Hellebuyck, last season’s Hart Trophy winner as the league’s MVP, stopped 15 of the Flyers’ 17 shots.

“They played a perfect road game,” Tocchet said. “Plus, they’ve got Hellebuyck in net.”

The Flyers fell to the Jets, last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winner, with a 5-2 decision Thursday night.

• Michkov recorded his first point of the season with his goal late in the third period. That could be a silver lining for the Flyers, who would love to see him get going offensively.

• Cam York made his season debut after missing the first three games with a lower-body injury.

The 24-year-old played on the top defensive pair alongside Sanheim and finished with 22:32 minutes.

With York’s return, Emil Andrae was sent back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

The Flyers play their third of four straight home games Saturday when they welcome the Wild (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Carter Hart has his next NHL opportunity.

He officially joined the Golden Knights organization Thursday, the team announced. According to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hart has signed a professional tryout offer, which will eventually convert into an NHL deal.

Wednesday was the first day Hart and four other players involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were eligible to sign with an NHL club. The former Flyers goalie will be eligible to play for Vegas on Dec. 1. The Golden Knights are a consensus Stanley Cup contender this season.

Vegas visits the Flyers on Dec. 11 (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and then the clubs meet again Jan. 19 on the West Coast (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty in July almost a year and a half after being charged with sexual assault, stemming from a June 2018 incident in London, Ontario.

Danny Briere said in September that Hart’s agent contacted the Flyers and pretty much ruled out the possibility of a reunion between the club and goaltender. It’s uncertain if the Flyers had interest in bringing Hart back.

“In light of everything that happened in the last year and a half with Carter, they felt and Carter felt that it was better for them to look for a fresh start,” the Flyers general manager said then. “That’s where it’s at and it’s the only comment I’m going to make on it.”

The Flyers cut ties with Hart in June 2024 when they didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, turning his restricted free-agent status into unrestricted. He had been away from the team since January 2024 after being granted an indefinite leave of absence.

The 27-year-old started in five straight season openers for the Flyers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. He played parts of six seasons for the club.

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Dating back to last season, the Warriors came into Sunday night having won eight consecutive preseason games. The streak came to an end in their 126-116 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.Â

The Warriors were without multiple key contributors, including Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Moses Moody. Seth Curry missed his third straight preseason game after being a late signing to training camp, and Deâ€Anthony Melton (knee) and Alex Toohey (ankle) continue to be out from injuries.

Vying for a starting position in the backcourt, Brandin Podziemski took advantage of being a focal point of the Warriors†offense. Podziemski had nine points through the first half and then caught fire in the third, scoring 14. The Warriors then only trailed by five points going into the fourth quarter because of Podziemski’s efforts.Â

Podziemskiâ€s night was done, leaving the comeback attempt to the rest of his teammates. But Sunday night in LA belonged to Podziemski, showing how he can be a reliable scorer and playmaker, especially when the Warriors arenâ€t at full strength. Podziemski in 26 minutes scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting and also had five rebounds and eight assists. He was a plus-6.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors†first loss of the preseason.

Shorthanded Starters

Down their top two players, adding Horford and Moody to the list of Warriors absences called for an interesting starting five. Coach Steve Kerr started with Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Quinten Post. Moody is out the rest of the preseason and will be re-evaluated in a week with what the Warriors are calling a strained calf.

“Weâ€re not too concerned about it. Itâ€s just weâ€re being careful,†Kerr told reporters in LA.

The age of the Warriors†top players already guarantees Kerr will have to be comfortable with multiple combinations and consistently tinker with who his starters are. This was the perfect opportunity for several young Warriors and role players to step up. The score was tied 13-13 when Kerr made his first substitution, bringing Gary Payton II in for Post.

Golden Stateâ€s starting five began the second half together, and came out strong trying to cut down a 17-point deficit. The Lakers†lead was cut to 10 points with the Warriors outscoring the Lakers 21-14 through the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter when Kerr brought Payton in for Post.

Kumingaâ€s Highs And Lows

Offense will have to run through Kuminga on nights that Curry and Butler are out. There were moments where he showed he can step up with more responsibility, and others where consistency continues to be a problem.

Kuminga in the first quarter twice took advantage of Dalton Knecht switching onto him in the post. He also had three assists in the first quarter. Then in the second, Kuminga went from getting his ankles crossed on defense to throwing down an explosive dunk that only he can slam left-handed with ease and authority.

Kuminga in the first half scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and had four assists. His fourth was a dime to Pat Spencer cutting into the paint for a layup. But Kuminga also didnâ€t have one rebound at halftime, led the Warriors with five turnovers and was a game-low minus-18.

There were highs and lows in Kumingaâ€s third game of the preseason. Kuminga played 22 minutes and scored an efficient 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He dominated around the rim, but missed his only 2-point shot outside the paint and badly forced one of his three 3-point attempts.

The process overall has been positive. Kuminga is keeping his eyes up and mostly has been in flow of the offense. He finished with no rebounds, six assists and five turnovers as a minus-10.

Creating Space

Between offseason additions and the development of certain players, Kerr has raved over the space these Warriors can create. He now can have an offense that plays four-out, or even five-out. When at full strength, that is.

The end of the first quarter saw a unit of Pat Spencer, Will Richard, Payton, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis struggle to score with very little spacing. None of those five are considered threats to shoot from long distance. The start of the second quarter also was a struggle.

That group featured Podziemski, Hield, Kuminga, Santos and Jackson-Davis. Those five give Kerr one surefire 3-point threat in Hield, and a hopeful second with Podziemski. The Warriors as a team in the first half shot 19 percent from three, going 4 of 21. Payton was the only bench player to make a three, and no Warrior made multiple threes.

They also didnâ€t attempt a single free throw in the first half, while the Lakers went 13 of 15 at the line.

After making only four 3-pointers in the first half, the Warriors made three in the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter – two by Post and one from Podziemski – and five for the entire quarter. The Warriors made two more threes than the Lakers, 14 to 12, but shot a lowly 32.6 percent, which was far lower than LAâ€s 44.4 percent clip. Podziemski, Post and LJ Cryer were the only Warriors to make more than one three.

Richard (1 of 6), Santos (1 of 5) and Spencer (1 of 5) combined to go 3 of 17 on threes.

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Joel Embiidâ€s in the middle of a new twist to Sixers head coach Nick Nurseâ€s preseason tinkering.

Embiid featured Sunday in the Sixers†annual Blue-White scrimmage at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. And he shared the floor with another big man in Adem Bona.Â

Nurse confirmed after the scrimmage that heâ€s “trying to look at Bona and Joel together.†With Paul George sidelined as he works back from a left knee injury and Trendon Watford out because of right hamstring tightness, itâ€s not yet clear how the Sixers will divvy up power forward minutes. Two-way contract player Dominick Barlow has played well this preseason and fellow two-way Jabari Walker has also been in the mix.Â

Bona is an unconventional option, although Nurse noted his role may not change much alongside Embiid. The 22-year-old stuck almost exclusively to dunks, layups, put-backs and the occasional post-up his rookie year. In contrast, Embiidâ€s jump shooting and overall array of offensive skills have historically been giant strengths.

“I think thereâ€s kind of an open position at the four, especially right now with Paul not being quite ready yet,†Nurse said. “Thereâ€s a number of guys that weâ€re trying to work into that spot. … (Bona) is probably going to be more of the five. Heâ€s going to play down toward the basket, rim protect and things like that. Thereâ€s certainly some drives and dump-offs to him … that are high-percentage plays. I like that part. Heâ€ll help the rebounding, heâ€ll help the rim protection. Weâ€ll see how it goes.â€â€

Bona brought his typical shot swatting to the scrimmage and stared down Johni Broome after denying the rookie a dunk. Heâ€s pleased at the prospect of playing next to Embiid.Â

“I think it brings another dynamic to the team,†Bona said. “Itâ€s going to bring a huge amount of size and presence in the paint.â€

While Bona measured a tad over 6-foot-8 without shoes at the NBA draft combine, he indeed plays much bigger. The UCLA productâ€s wingspan is a shade under 7-4. He posted a 40-inch maximum vertical leap at the combine and sure seems to have added to that.Â

Of course, most Sixers projections ride on Embiidâ€s health. He scrimmaged Sunday, moved smoothly and scored plenty.

The Sixers have avoided timelines in discussing Embiidâ€s return from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The scrimmage was his first live action in front of a crowd since Feb. 22.

“I knew this would be the first time you guys had seen him for a long time,†Nurse said. “I donâ€t know how many weeks this is now — Iâ€m losing track — but heâ€s been out there playing. Again, just trying to continue to progress.Â

“Today was a good progression day. Lots of running, lots of 5-on-5, lots of early practice stuff, lots of 5-on-0. …  And then he went out there and did his thing. He shot the ball well, he scored well, he orchestrated the offense well. I thought he ran pretty good as well — both directions.â€

Bona would love to see all of that translate to games. When the Sixers drafted him, he envisioned frontcourt minutes with Embiid.

“Iâ€ve been working toward that,†he said, “and Iâ€m really excited to see how thatâ€s going to look.â€

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Steph Curry has been the face of the Warriors for the better part of two decades, but who’s next in line to carry that burden once the two-time NBA MVP decides to hang it up?

Brandin Podziemski recently stated his desire to earn that prestigious role, displaying a level of ambition that is appreciated by general manager Mike Dunleavy.

Dunleavy wouldn’t make a hard commitment to handing the keys of the franchise over to Podziemski, opting to see how the cards unfold when the time comes, as he explained further during an interview on 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” Friday.

“I think we like his ambition overall. That’s part of the reason that makes him good,” Dunleavy told Matt Steinmentz and Daryl Johnson. “He believes in himself, he goes out there and shows it every night. So, on the whole, I like to see that. As far as the future goes, it’s so hard to predict. I think from his standpoint or any of our young players’ standpoint, who knows how good these guys are going to be … we’ll see where the chips fall.

“We love having BP. He has been an integral part of our team the last couple years, as has some of the young guys we drafted in the first round, second round, picked up, undrafted, whatever it may be. We feel good about our young group. But who knows five years from now what any of this is going to look like. So, we just want to focus on this year, putting together the best team we can do and we’ll kind of cross the bridge of everything else as it goes.”

Podziemski voiced his lofty goal during an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, detailing how warning that trust goes beyond just his skill on the court.

“When they leave this thing, they got to leave it with somebody,†Podziemski told Friedell. “How can I have their trust? And they can go to [owner] Joe [Lacob] and [general manager] Mike [Dunleavy] and be like, “Hey, we want to leave it with him. Heâ€s going to continue what weâ€re leaving.

“So, I think about that all time, and I set myself up in that position to have that. And thereâ€s a lot of other things than just skill that you need to be in that position.â€

Podziemski is entering his third NBA season after being selected No. 19 overall in the 2023 draft, earning All-Rookie honors after a standout campaign in his first year as a professional.

The 22-year-old guard followed that up with another solid performance in his sophomore season, posting 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 64 appearances.

While Podziemski certainly has displayed the desired traits you’d seek in a leader, his long-term role will be sorted out when the time comes. For now, his, and every member of Golden State’s focus remains putting the Warriors in the best position possible to pursue a championship this season.

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The Warriors are focused on the present, but general manager Mike Dunleavy can’t ignore the uncertainty looming with Steve Kerr’s future as coach.

Dunleavy joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Friday and discussed where things stand with Kerr as he enters the final year of a two-year contract he signed in February 2024.

“Yeah, I mean, I guess technically there is [uncertainty],” Dunleavy said. “This isn’t really a regular situation with a head coach where he’s in the last year of his deal. We know what it is with Steve. He’s been here a long time. He’s been an amazing part of this franchise, and as far as I’m concerned, can stay as long as he wants.

“We’re going to give him the grace of the season to go through it, or at least some of it, to see and feel where he’s at mentally and physically.”

With two years left on Steph Curry’s contract, two left on Draymond Green’s with a player option in the final year and Jimmy Butler also signed through the 2026-27 NBA season, it only feels right that Kerr would end his Warriors tenure with the guys he started it with.

When asked about it last week, Kerr told reporters he didn’t want to address it at that point because he wants to see how he feels in six months, adding that he’s “very comfortable” just going into the season with one year left on his deal.

“I get how maybe it doesn’t line up,” Dunleavy said, “but it’s hard to see Steve moving on, or to see Steph finish his career without Steve on the sidelines. I think it’ll all work out, but we’re not going to jump into anything. We’re going to go on Steve’s terms.

“And right now, he just wants to take it and see how the season goes. And no problem on our end.”

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The Warriors will be without several starters for their third game of the 2025 NBA preseason.

Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Moses Moody all will miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, coach Steve Kerr told reporters Saturday (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater).

Kerr already had informed media members on Friday that Butler would be away for Sunday’s game as an excused absence, stating the reason was positive.

Meanwhile, Kerr said Curry is “banged up,” but the plan is for him to play Tuesday against the Trail Blazers in Portland.

Horford made his unofficial Warriors debut in Golden State’s preseason opener last Sunday, finishing with three points, four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. He was a plus-13 in 14 minutes.

Moody, after leading the Warriors with 19 points and five 3-pointers last Sunday, will miss the game in Los Angeles due to a calf issue. Kerr said Moody will undergo an MRI later Saturday, but the team believes it is minor.

The Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Quinten Post.

Strength in numbers will be tested early this season.

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Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors are ready to turn the page to basketball after a strenuous offseason, but Mike Dunleavy can’t avoid the obvious.

Dunleavy joined 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru” on Friday and addressed the reality of the aftermath of Kuminga’s contract situation.

“This is the nature of the business, especially in the offseason,” Dunleavy said. “You got to cover news, cover things that are going on. But once camp starts and you jump into basketball, that’s what our guys are focused on. Of course, there are going to be things that come up in the season, rumors and all those things, and the players have to deal with that.

“I think it’s impossible to go through a season without distractions and things like that.”

After a 92-day standoff, Kuminga and the Warriors finally agreed on a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a team option in the second year.

The 23-year-old returned to the Warriors’ practice facility for training camp last week, and all parties involved have downplayed any bad blood or drama between Kuminga and the rest of the team.

While his role within Steve Kerr’s offense still needs to be sorted, Kuminga’s sole focus is doing whatever he can to help the Warriors win. And a few weeks ahead of the 2025-26 season opener, that’s the only vibe Dunleavy has got thus far.

“But I don’t see the JK stuff from what’s happened in the offseason in terms of figuring out a contract for him carrying over into the season,” Dunleavy said. “That would be pretty surprising to me. He’s not that type of guy. We’re moving forward. The rest of the team is moving forward. I haven’t really seen any of those things lingering thus far in camp, even.”

As Dunleavy stated, the team won’t be able to avoid any outside noise. But as long as the Warriors are good within their own walls, Kuminga’s presence should be nothing but a positive for Golden State.

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