Brandon Williams’ new deal with the Warriors comes with a wrinkle that could keep the back end of Golden State’s roster in motion for weeks.
The one-year, $2.6 million contract was initially assumed to carry at least some protection, if not full guarantees. But HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Williams has no guarantees yet. His salary only becomes protected for $1.4 million if he is on the opening night roster.
That setup gives the Warriors real flexibility. They can move on from Williams at any point over the next month and a half without taking a cap hit.
Williams is still expected to make the team for opening night. The signing earned a strong grade because he was the best point guard left on the market. Still, his spot is not locked in if another camp invite or preseason standout forces Golden State to make a different call.
Dalen Terry could be one of the names in that mix if he winds up spending training camp with the Warriors. Terry is not two-way eligible, so his path is straightforward: he would have to win a standard roster spot. That puts him directly in the fight for Williams’ job.
Golden State also has several players competing for its three two-way slots: LJ Cryer, Malevy Leons, Lajae Jones, Graham Ike and Deivon Smith.
Any of them could put together a strong enough camp and preseason to push the Warriors into a tougher decision. One scenario would be rewarding a standout with a standard contract and then shifting another player into a two-way spot. For example, if Cryer and Smith both shine, Golden State could decide the best move is to give Williams’ standard deal to Cryer and hand Cryer’s two-way slot to Smith.
That kind of chain reaction is unlikely, but it is very much on the table because of how Williams’ contract is built.
His deal is the least secure of the Warriors’ roster contracts. Even if he survives to opening night, he can still be cut during the season before the final $1.2 million of his salary becomes guaranteed.
Georges Niang and Charles Bassey also have partial guarantees, but their situations are different. Golden State has no real incentive to cut them right now, though both could still be moved later in the season if the Warriors want to save money and open a roster spot.
Bassey’s contract becomes fully guaranteed on January 10, and Williams and Niang are likely on the same timeline.
If a player like Cryer makes a real impression and the Warriors want to keep him for the rest of the season on a standard contract, someone would have to go. In that case, Williams, Niang or Bassey would be the most likely candidate to be cut.
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