It's one of the difficult realities of the Golden State Warriors' roster situation that Dalen Terry was ultimately let go, especially after his impressive preseason performance.
Of course, it was just one game. But in Terry's 23-point, eight-rebound, and nine-assist performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, we got a full glimpse at why the Warriors were willing to take a training camp flyer on him in the first place. He still has some major upside as an offensively capable, 3-and-D wing. The only reason he's not on Golden State's roster rigt now is likely the fact that he is no longer eligible for a two-way deal, having already completed four seasons at the NBA level.
Adding Terry to the final 15-man roster would've required letting go of either Brandon Williams or Georges Niang—neither of which was happening.
But Terry has now worked his way to the G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, and it may not be the end of the story for the fifth-year guard.
With the way this roster was constructed, Terry truly had no chance to compete his way into the fold. Niang's contract, although only partially guaranteed, still would've cost Golden State over $1.8 million to keep on the books even if he was released. With the margins they have between them and the second apron, there's no way the Warriors were paying a player not to be on the roster.
Williams, for his part, quickly cemented himself as a bona fide backup point guard option behind Stephen Curry, something Golden State has truly lacked in recent seasons. Unless Terry could somehow play that role, he was essentially out from the beginning.
But it's unwise, at least right now, to think that this roster will look the same by the end of the season. Golden State has positioned itself with ample financial flexibility. Draymond Green is on an expiring deal, as is Jimmy Butler. Kristaps Porzingis, because of the way his guarantees are structured, essentially represents one as well.
If the Warriors want to get out ahead of free agency and make a trade involving any of these pieces, there almost certainly will be a roster spot opened up between now and the end of the season.
What Terry needs to do, though, is more than simply bide his time in Santa Cruz. Across four NBA season, albeit with limited rotational opportunities, Terry has averaged just 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while knocking down 31.4% of his attempts from beyond the arc. It's that latter category that's concerning, considering that any upside Terry could present to Golden State at the NBA level depends on him being a consistent perimeter shooter off the bench.
But we saw the upside Terry had in that outing against the Trail Blazers, and he has a history of strong performance in the G-League—having shot 43.2% from 3-point range across his 20 career games there. Of course, even spectacular G-League play doesn't translate to the NBA level.
But especially with second-round pick Lajae Jones working overseas, Terry will have ample opportunity to separate himself from the pack in Santa Cruz this year, answering some questions about his shooting consistency and long-term upside while Golden State sorts out its roster this season.
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