Nearly three years into his NBA career, Moses Moody is yet to solidify himself as a legitimate part of the Golden State Warriors' rotation. The 21-year-old's future remains clouded as a result, with plenty of speculation regarding his future over the last 12-15 months.
The Warriors have chose to maintain faith in Moody's development, and now face the prospect of offering the former lottery pick a contract extension as part of a multitude of decisions to be made during the offseason.
Young wing Moses Moody could still attract a $40+ million contract extension from the Golden State Warriors in the offseason
Evaluating Moody's value is a difficult exercise, such has been the often stop-start, fluctuating nature of his career. While he has all the tools to be a prototypical three-and-D wing, Moody is yet to put it altogether to the point of being a consistent rotation member.
In analyzing potential extension outcomes for first-round picks from the 2021 NBA Draft, Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus believes Moody could ask for upwards of $10 million per season.
"Golden State has eyes on reducing one of the highest payrolls in the NBA, but it may still extend Moody if the price is right. Unfortunately, his production may not warrant a large enough offer to bypass free agency. The Warriors might lowball Moody in the $8 million per year range, while Moody may seeking closer to $11-13 million per year."Eric Pincus
That sort of asking price could result in a four-year deal between $40-$50 million, but even that could prove too risky a move for both parties. Moody could foreseeably see himself as a $15-20 million within a couple of years, while from a franchise's perspective, paying upwards of $10 million per season is a hefty price to pay for someone who hasn't solidified a rotation spot.
After a rough shooting stretch for most of March, Moody has rediscovered his stroke over the past two games. The 6'5" wing had 15 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, then went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc in a 10-point display against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
Moody's shooting may be what makes or breaks his career. Head coach Steve Kerr recently stated that he believes in Moody's three-point shooting, though the former 14th overall pick is shooting a career-low 34.7% this season.
An extension for Moody is likely to be on the lower end of priorities for the Warriors in what's sure to be a busy offseason. That includes decisions on veterans Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, while Moody's fellow third-year lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga is also extension eligible.