Dalen Terry’s path to the Golden State Warriors roster is blocked for now, but it may not stay that way for long.
As Golden State closes in on the end of its preseason schedule, the shape of the club’s rotation - and likely its opening-night roster - has started to come into focus. Terry is not expected to be part of it.
Georges Niang’s contract is not fully guaranteed, but his partial guarantee made it a long shot that the Warriors would move on from him, and Terry’s only realistic route was to beat out Brandon Williams for the final spot. With Williams’ potential value as Stephen Curry’s backup point guard, that was always going to be a tough climb.
Terry did make a strong case in one extended preseason appearance. Against the Portland Trail Blazers, he finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists while going 4-of-5 from 3-point range. But after that night, his workload dropped sharply, and he has logged just nine total minutes across the next two games.
Because he has already played four full NBA seasons, Terry is no longer eligible for another two-way deal. That leaves Golden State hoping it can keep him around with the Santa Cruz Warriors, unless another team decides to claim him for its 15-man roster.
That would be the ideal holding pattern for the Warriors, because Terry could still wind up back in the mix later this season.
The caveat is that expectations need to stay measured. Over four NBA seasons, Terry has been a limited contributor as a 3-and-D wing, hitting only 31.4% of his 3s and struggling to secure a steady role with either the Chicago Bulls or the Philadelphia 76ers.
Still, the upside is real enough that Golden State would almost certainly welcome him if there were room. Another team could decide to make that move before the regular season begins, though clubs with open roster spots are often saving them for flexibility during the season - whether that means a buy-out addition or one of their own two-way players breaking through.
For now, Terry appears to be a safe bet for Santa Cruz.
A Warriors trade could change the math. Golden State has the financial assets to chase a star and could move on from Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody, or Jimmy Butler’s contract in order to bring in another high-end piece to pair with Curry. If the Warriors have to aggregate salaries - which would be necessary if they didn’t want to move Butler’s contract in a deal for a mid-level player - that would create an open roster spot.
If that door opens, Terry is the type of player who could slide into real minutes if the rotation gets thinned out late in the year. He can defend, and at least in theory, he can stretch the floor with higher-volume 3-point shooting.
If nothing changes before then, his next chance in Golden State may just be a matter of waiting.
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