Will Richard may end up being the piece that quietly shapes the Golden State Warriors’ training camp decision at the back of the roster.
That’s the twist here: the Warriors didn’t take Richard at 56th overall last year expecting a long developmental wait. They gave him a guaranteed contract right away, betting on his two-way value and his readiness to contribute.
The payoff came fast. As a rookie, Richard logged meaningful minutes and produced 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while hitting 33.5% of his three-point tries.
He’s still not a finished offensive player, and he looks better suited to a bench role as he enters his second season. But Golden State is clearly planning around him, especially with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody unavailable. That matters because Richard’s role could ripple all the way down to the battle for the 15th roster spot between Brandon Williams and Dalen Terry.
If the Warriors believe Richard can handle the wing work they need from Moody’s absence, then the roster math changes in a hurry.
Williams brings a different kind of appeal. He spent last season with the Dallas Mavericks, stepping into a bigger ball-handling role when Kyrie Irving was out.
In 66 games, Williams averaged 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, while shooting 47.2% from the field. That kind of production makes him a straightforward fit if Golden State wants another guard who can run the offense.
Terry, though, has his own argument. He hasn’t produced much across four NBA seasons, but at 6'6" and 195 lbs, he offers the kind of two-way profile teams keep circling back to. He also brings more perimeter shooting pedigree than Williams.
The Warriors have room to care about both skill sets. Moody is out until at least mid-season, which keeps perimeter shooting and on-ball defense near the top of the list. At the same time, the knee issue that sidelined Curry for a large swathe of last season makes the need for a real point guard behind him hard to ignore.
That’s why Richard’s development matters so much. If he can push his perimeter shooting up into the 36 or 37% range while keeping the defensive edge he already brings, Golden State could feel comfortable using him as its main bench wing. That would also put him in the rotation alongside Yaxel Lendeborg and, eventually, Moody.
And if that happens, Terry’s case gets thinner for now. Williams would suddenly have a much clearer path to the 15th roster spot when camp opens.
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