Golden State’s injury list got a little longer on Saturday, and this one hits a spot the Warriors were already leaning on.
Will Richard suffered a UCL tear in his left thumb during the team’s overtime win over the Magic, and ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote on X that Richard is out indefinitely. That tracks with the kind of recovery timeline a UCL tear usually brings, which can keep a player sidelined for weeks.
Richard has put up 5.1 points per game across 10 appearances, including three starts, but the box score only tells part of the story. His on-ball defense has been a real help for the Warriors, especially in stretches when they’ve needed him to soak up tough minutes.
His absence leaves Golden State even thinner, and he becomes the fourth player on a standard contract to be out indefinitely. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are dealing with long-term knee injuries, while Kristaps Porzingis has a health issue that could force him to retire.
The most direct ripple effect should show up in the guard rotation. Gary Payton II is the likeliest player to absorb the biggest bump in minutes, since he and Richard had effectively been functioning as the team’s fifth and sixth guards. With Richard out, Payton is the one who should get the call whenever the Warriors need help from that part of the depth chart.
Brandon Williams has mostly logged his minutes with Stephen Curry on the bench, but Richard’s injury makes it a little more likely that Williams will see some run alongside Curry as well. De’Anthony Melton, who has essentially been Brandin Podziemski’s backup at shooting guard, could also pick up a small increase in playing time.
Golden State needed healthy bodies before this. The Warriors were already depending heavily on Richard when Stephen Curry, Draymond and Al Horford were given rest days, and now they’ll be even more stretched when those veterans sit.
The clearest answer, at least from the outside, is to move Porzingis for any decent player. A center would be the cleanest fit, especially after the Warriors were beaten on the glass 57-42 by the Magic on Saturday and their interior defense showed real cracks.
Porzingis is set to make $20 million in 2026-27, so the simplest deal would be Porzingis straight up for someone earning up to $20 million. If Golden State wants a player making more than that, it would need to include another contract to make the money work, since the team can’t take back more salary than it sends out.
If a center isn’t available, the Warriors should be chasing an on-ball defender instead, ideally one with length who can handle wings. Even a solid perimeter stopper would help.
Porzingis also may not be especially hard to move. He is expected to accept a buyout immediately after any trade, which would save the acquiring team money and make him a more appealing deal to complete.
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The intrigue only grows because this comes on the heels of speculation about Nikola Jokics future and Golden States interest in whether he might ever be available, even though no formal trade talks have been confirmed. Jokic has said he wants to remain in Denver, and for now the bigger mystery is which Nuggets player Kawakami was pointing to, leaving the Warriors linked to another name without the identity being made public. [Read more 🡒]