Despite appearing to finalize their roster with the additions of Brandon Williams and Georges Niang on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors have left the door open for alternative moves that offers a surprising lifeline to former Philadelphia 76ers wing Dalen Terry.
As first reported by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto on Thursday, Williams’ contract with the Warriors is completely non-guaranteed until opening night. That allows the front office to waive Williams and not carry a cap hit if someone like Terry, or another training camp invitee, were to impress in preseason and warrant a main roster spot.
Brandon Williams contract leaves Dalen Terry with Warriors lifeline
Golden State have yet to sign Terry to a training camp contract, but have had reported interest and the former first-round pick was even seen sitting next to Stephen Curry at a recent Valkyries game. That appeared unusual given the Warriors’ now completed plans to sign Williams and Niang, but now makes more sense given there’s still technically a path for him to make the opening night roster.
Williams’ contract will become partially guaranteed come opening night, while Scotto reports that Niang’s deal is only partially guaranteed for $1.84 million at the time of signing. Along with the recently signed duo, Golden State also signed center Charles Bassey to a partially guaranteed deal earlier in free agency.
Updates: The Warriors signed Georges Niang to a partially guaranteed deal and Brandon Williams to a non-guaranteed deal, sources say. Niang is partially guaranteed for $1.84M of his $3.88M salary. Williams can earn $1.4M if he makes the opening night roster and up to $2.63M total
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 27, 2026
This allows the Warriors to remain flexible and they've once again prioritized optionality heading into the rest of the offseason and training camp, particularly when it comes to Williams’ completely non-guaranteed deal. They could still be a player in the buyout market if a bigger name were to become available, with some teams around the league facing a roster crunch.
It's a little surprising that Williams couldn't generate a guaranteed deal in the wake of a career-best season with the Dallas Mavericks, yet's it's also not uncommon for contracts signed at this point of the offseason to be non-guaranteed.
Dalen Terry still faces uphill battle to win Warriors roster spot
Don't be surprised if Terry officially signs a training camp contract in the coming weeks, yet the 24-year-old still faces a major hurdle in trying to win a roster spot given he's not eligible for a two-way contract.
There's a strong likelihood that Golden State's main roster remains as it is right now, especially considering Williams fills a need as a backup point guard who could offer an offensive spark while Jimmy Butler remains sidelined by injury.
But by not guaranteeing Williams' contract, the Warriors have at least dangled the carrot to Terry and other potential training camp invites that a roster spot is still there if they're good enough to take advantage.
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