As the Golden State Warriors round into the end of their preseason slate, their rotation—or at the very least, their opening-night roster—has become relatively clear. There won't be space for Dalen Terry.
That was almost always going to be the case no matter how Terry played. Although Georges Niang's contract isn't fully guaranteed, his partial guarantee meant there was only a very small chance Golden State would be willing to move on from him. Terry was going to need to beat out Brandon Williams for the Warriors' final roster spot, and given Williams' potential importance as a backup point guard behind Stephen Curry, that was going to be an exceedingly steep hill to climb.
Terry did impress in his lone outing with extensive minutes this preseason, putting up 23 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Portland Trail Blazers. But since that time, he's seen only a combined nine minutes in the two following matchups.
Because Terry has played four full NBA seasons, he's not eligible to take on another two-way contract. Hopefully Golden State can hang onto him in the G-League, assuming another rival team doesn't swoop in and add him to their 15-man roster.
If they're able to, Terry may simply be able to bide his time for his next opportunity.
A Warriors trade could open up an opportunity for Dalen Terry at some point this season
It's important to temper expectations when it comes to Terry. Across four NBA seasons, he's seen only limited minutes and production as a 3-and-D wing player, shooting just 31.4% from beyond the arc over the duration of his career and largely failing to maintain a rotational role with either the Chicago Bulls or the Philadelphia 76ers.
But there's upside there, and he's a player that, if the Warriors had the space, they would almost certainly bring into the fold with open arms. Perhaps another team will be willing to take that swing before the start of the regular season.
But any teams that still have roster spots open are likely saving those for in-season flexibility—a buy-out opportunity or the emergence of one of their own two-way players as a real rotational contributor. Terry, for now, may be a safe bet to add to the Santa Cruz Warriors.
There's no guarantee, moreover, that Golden State does make a trade this season. But they certainly have the financial assets to get ahead of an uncertain free agency period, moving on from Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody, or Jimmy Butler's contract in order to bring in another star talent to pair with Stephen Curry.
If the Warriors are forced to aggregate salaries—which would be required if they were unwilling to move Butler's contract in any sort of deal for a mid-level player—there would be an open roster spot available.
Terry, while not the most impactful player, is the sort of piece that could likely take on viable minutes if the rotation were to be thinned late in the season. He's a capable defender, and he's, at least theoretically, a viable 3-point shooter with higher volume.
If no other options open up for Terry between now and then, it may simply be a matter of time until his next opportunity pops up in Golden State.
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