The Golden State Warriors have gone about their offseason business with certainty— if not with much risk.
Apart from adding Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they've prioritized bringing back their internal free agents. They re-signed Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Charles Bassey. Even with two spots left to fill, it was clear that this roster was going to look largely the same as last season—and Golden State was going to gamble on improved health across their rotation.
But those two remaining roster spots, at the very least, presented intrigue. Would the Warriors look to bring in a veteran who could help eat minutes in the rotation, or would they be willing to take a swing on a younger player who might have some upside left to be unlocked?
We got a partial answer on Tuesday morning when Shams Charania reported that the Warriors would be using their 14th roster spot to sign former Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams to a one-year, $2.6 million deal.
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
Williams might not even be a primary member of this rotation—but his experience as a lead ball-handler and his potential as a bench scorer is compelling. At this point in the offseason, that's all we can really ask for.
Brandon Williams is a worthy late-offseason signing for the Warriors
Pickings were always going to be slim this late in the offseason for Golden State. Within the past week, both Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan came off the market. Any signing the Warriors made was going to be a fringe player no matter how savvy they were on the open market.
But Williams at least brings some optimism to the table.
He averaged 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field across 66 games last season with Dallas. In the absence of Kyrie Irving, he took on a major role as the team's bench point guard— a job he was not entirely suited for, but one he filled nonetheless. He was a capable playmaker over the course of the season, nearly posting a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, and his scoring efficiency on the interior was solid.
It remains to be seen how he'll fit into the Warriors' backcourt rotation. He doesn't have a consistent 3-point shot—he knocked down just 23.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc last season—and that could limit his rotational viability. But even behind Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, and Melton, he has more scoring upside than Payton and more NBA experience than LJ Cryer.
The Warriors' attention will now likely turn to the wing or the frontcourt with their 15th roster spot. There's been plenty of buzz about a training camp deal for Dalen Terry, but both Kelly Olynyk and Georges Niang remain on the market as options at forward/center.
But regardless, Williams earned this sort of opportunity with his play last season in Dallas. We'll see if Golden State can shore up some of the pitfalls in his game and turn him into a consistent rotational guard.
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