As the Golden State Warriors have sought out a potential sign-and-trade for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, their unwillingness to include young wing Moses Moody in any trade discussions has essentially made a deal impossible.

Yet, although Moody took large strides forward this season into becoming a valuable 3-and-D player, the Warriors must accept that it is highly possible that he never fully becomes an elite perimeter shooter, severely harming his value as a potential starter going forward.

If things do not go exactly according to plan, it is a real possibility that Golden State may have made a massive mistake this summer in opting to hold on to Moody.

Moses Moody might not be as valuable as the Warriors think

Drafted 14th overall by the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft, Moody has been a significant piece in the organization’s attempt to build and retain a young core to develop alongside superstar Stephen Curry.

Now, with his significant steps in his development this past season, it appears as though Moody’s skill-set might finally be blossoming. Through 74 games last season, Moody averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc.

In addition to this uptick in his offensive production, Moody also started a large swathe of games following the Jimmy Butler acquisition, helping to anchor one of the league’s best defenses down the stretch of the regular season.

Yet, despite his rapid growth on both sides of the floor, Moody’s perimeter shot was still largely inconsistent. While his 33.3% shooting clip from beyond the arc in the playoffs can be attributed to a lingering hand injury that was fixed surgically this offseason, Moody was still largely unable to put together a series of remarkable shooting performances throughout the course of the entire regular season.

Moreover, in his other three seasons with the Warriors, Moody has respectively shot 36.4%, 36.3% and 36% from 3-point range.

While Moody looks to be developing into a valuable role player, is a 36% 3-point shot viable enough for a 3-and-D starter?

Golden State, in allowing their unwillingness to move Moody to effectively prevent any real talks materializing around a blockbuster trade for Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls, has expressed a significant amount of faith in Moody’s ability to continue taking large strides in his development.

Yet, Moody’s numbers to this point signify that there is a real possibility he could remain an inconsistent 3-point shooter, and, in holding onto Moody this offseason at the expense of a potentially difference-making trade, the organization has taken a massive risk.

Therefore, although Moody has already become a cost-effective role player for the Warriors, fans must accept that there is a possibility that that is all he might ever be.