The Golden State Warriors, at least nominally, are still holding a competition for their 14th and 15th roster spots. All three of Georges Niang, Brandon Williams, and Dalen Terry are signed to partially or non-guaranteed deals, and any of the three could be moved off of before the start of the season at no real cost to Golden State.
The Warriors wanted to prioritize flexibility and competition heading into training camp. Especially for a team that's going to need every single component of its roster to contribute this year, that's a smart move.
But it seemed from the beginning that Terry was on the outside looking in of this competition. The Warriors have a clear need for a backup point guard behind Stephen Curry, and in spite of Williams' flaws, he's still the best option currently on their roster to take on that role. Niang, meanwhile, could provide an immediate floor-spacing boost to this rotation in the frontcourt behind Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Gui Santos.
Terry, at least in light of his production to this point in his NBA career, provides neither of those things. And his minutes-share and production in his preseason debut confirms that fact.
Dalen Terry's path to carving out a roster spot with the Warriors may simply be too steep
Any shot Terry ever had of making Golden State's roster was going to depend on the coaching staff's belief in unlocking his theoretical upside. He averaged just 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc last season across 48 games between the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers. But his perimeter-shooting marks prior to that—35.6%, 23.0%, and 25.9% across his first three NBA seasons—don't inspire much confidence in his ability to establish himself as a consistent shooter.
If the Warriors believed they could convert him into a fully-capable 3-and-D rotational contributor, perhaps a guaranteed roster spot would be worth the gamble. Terry is no longer eligible for a two-way contract now that he's accumulated four seasons of NBA service time.
But if Terry were truly in the running for a roster spot, or at least on the same footing as Niang and Williams, it feels like we would've seen more from him against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Terry finished the night having only played just under 11 minutes, posting five points on 2-of-4 shooting and tacking on five rebounds and two assists.
Those are certainly solid numbers, especially given his relatively limited time on the court. But Williams played 15.5 minutes, leaving the game as Golden State's leading scorer with 11 points and receiving a personal welcome from Steve Kerr. Niang, who's returning to the floor after missing all of last season due to injury, played over 12 minutes.
Perhaps this balance shifts over the remainder of Golden State's preseason slate. But unless Terry proves himself as a true, consistent shooting option, the Warriors simply have a greater need for Williams' and Niang's skill sets than they do Terry's.
There are still other teams, even after the preseason concludes, that would likely be willing to take a flyer on the fifth-year wing. But his place with the Warriors, as long as Niang still has his game together, doesn't seem to be secure in the slightest.
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