With two roster spots remaining this offseason, the Golden State Warriors needed to clearly define their priorities in filling out their rotation.
Did they want to target a veteran forward like Kelly Olynyk or Georges Niang and leave the final roster spot up to a training camp competition? Or did they want to find a backcourt contributor with some upside left to be unlocked, even after their re-signing of Gary Payton II?
They chose the latter route on Tuesday morning, inking former Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams to a one-year, $2.6 million deal, per Shams Charania at ESPN.
Free agent guard Brandon Williams has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal to sign with the Golden State Warriors, agents Derek Lafayette and Curtis Lawrence tell ESPN. Williams averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists and 22.2 minutes per night across 66 games for Dallas last season. pic.twitter.com/VcDytjCDKe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2026
It remains to be seen what they'll do with their 15th roster spot. But their backcourt is now relatively full. They have Stephen Curry and some combination of Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton to start, and Payton and Williams will help eat whatever minutes are left over in conjunction with that trio.
As strong as second-year guard LJ Cryer looked in Summer League, therefore, it seems as though his path may be blocked off in the short-term to earning an enhanced role on this roster.
LJ Cryer deserves his opportunity— but the Brandon Williams signing will make it much more difficult to come by
Cryer, who played a short stint of games with the Warriors last season on a two-way deal, was one of the true standouts of Golden State's appearance in the California Classic and the 2K26 NBA Summer League. Across eight games, he averaged 14 points, 2.2 rebounds, and four assists while knocking down 41.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Even at his height, he showed tenacity and upside as an on-ball defender, and he certainly has potential as a floor-spacer.
There was a case to be made that, if the frontcourt were addressed with the 14th roster spot, the 15th should be spent on converting Cryer to a standard contract. That would not only have given the Warriors the backcourt help they needed, but it would've made room to add both Graham Ike and second-round selection Lajae Jones on two-way deals.
With Williams in the fold, it's highly unlikely Golden State is now looking to spend their 15th roster spot on another point guard.
The Williams signing is a justifiable one, though. Although his lack of a consistent 3-point shot may limit his rotational upside, Williams got valuable experience as a lead ball-handler last season with the Dallas Mavericks. His upside as a potential bench scoring battery is also enticing—he averaged 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field across 66 games in Dallas last season.
But unless there is an injury, it's hard to see a path to both he and Cryer, as short, defensively limited guards, playing significant minutes in the Warriors rotation.
It will ultimately come down to how Golden State chooses to fill their final roster spot. There's been buzz about Dalen Terry as a potential 3-and-D addition on a training camp deal, and perhaps a Niang signing may still be in the works.
But Cryer's opportunity, for now, has been automatically limited by their decision to bring Williams into the fold.
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