As Klay Thompson’s Summer approaches, the Warriors would be prudent to make every effort to re-sign the veteran wing while also committing to the best manner to employ his abilities.

Thompson’s numbers imply that he would serve as the team’s sixth man.

This means that coach Steve Kerr can better manage his minutes. Some evenings, 23. Other nights: 32. Thompson’s adaptability lends itself to his role as the team’s sixth man.

“Klay really showed that he was agreeable to the sixth man role the second half of the year, even though eventually we put him back in the starting lineup,” Steve Kerr, the team’s coach, stated. “That has to be an option moving forward. “I’d rather not play him 35 minutes.”

Putting Thompson, 34, in that role will also give Moses Moody a long look in the starting lineup. He has earned the opportunity.

Both alternatives are under consideration, according to Kerr’s comments last week when asked about his starting lineup options if Thompson returns as the sixth man.

“It could very well be somebody on the roster,” Kerr told reporters. “I hope our young lads will continue to improve. For a while, we used Brandin [Podziemski] instead of Klay. So that is a possibility. Maybe Moses gets into the starting lineup.”

The case for Moody obtaining that opportunity is roughly equal to the case for Thompson as the sixth guy. Much of it stems from Golden State’s need to enhance its point-of-attack defense while also having a dangerous scorer off the bench.

Thompson was once a fantastic on-ball defender, capable of thriving in assignments ranging from big guards like James Harden and DeMar DeRozan to smaller guards like Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul. When Thompson and Andre Iguodala were on the court, they were like two gray wolves roaming the wings. That combination was essential to Golden State’s legendary “Death Squad” defense.

Two catastrophic injuries, a torn left ACL and a ruptured right Achilles tendon, have taken away much of Thompson’s lateral quickness. Buckets, which were rare against him six years ago, are now routine. Thompson’s 116.1 defensive rating in the 2023-24 NBA season was 11th among rotational Warriors, below only Dario Sarić and ahead of Andrew Wiggins (116.3).

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, who was on Golden State’s staff prior to and following Thompson’s injury, had his wings-hunting matchups against Klay in the NBA Play-In Tournament game last week.

In contrast, Moody is one of Golden State’s top defenders, both on and off the ball. His 110.2 rating was second on the squad, trailing only Gary Payton II (108.9) and just ahead of Draymond Green (110.7).

Though Moody’s defense might compensate for some of the scoring loss with Thompson coming off the bench, he’s not a zero on offensively. He shot 46.2 percent from the field, including 36.0 from deep, but his percentages improved to 51.9/39.5 when he started. Thompson shot 43.2/38.7 percent overall and 42.5/37.7 when starting.

“He’s a really good player, and he’s a young player who still has a lot of room for growth,” Moody said in a statement. “Decision-making at both ends has to be improved. Make faster decisions. Quicker defensive rotations. Recognition of patterns.

“I’ve told him simply that I want him to get his shot off faster. I believe he will be an exceptional 3-point shooter. There are occasions when he is open but does not shoot; instead, he drives, and we instantly lose the advantage.”

Kerr’s reservations regarding Moody’s semi-deliberate release are genuine, especially in relation to Thompson. That’s a high standard; Klay’s catch-and-shoot release is unrivaled in the NBA, akin to Stephen Curry.

Moody is an imperfect player in development who is still looking for his spot in the motion offense. Representatives should help with this. At 21, he is two years younger than Trayce Jackson-Davis but nine months older than Podziemski.

Moody is often considered an asset rather than a liability. He tends to play well when given opportunities, which remain inconsistent.

“He hasn’t probably played as much as we would like, and there hasn’t been a clear enough path,” general manager Mike Dunleavy said of Moody. “That is something we will look at. Coming into Year 4, it’s critical for him to have some respectable playing time available so that he can impact our team, be out there, and continue to progress, and I believe that’s a fair thing.

The Warriors benefit from having either Curry or Thompson on the floor at all times. With the goal of keeping Curry under 30 minutes per game, Thompson will have at least 18 minutes to harass a defense, as well as overflow minutes with his longstanding companion.

There is no guarantee that Thompson will return or that Moody will stay on the roster. However, if both return next season, the Warriors have a viable experiment to ponder.

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