Dalen Terry couldn’t have done much more to press his case for a spot at the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, pouring in 23 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a very impressive performance against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The issue for the Warriors, and for Terry, is that the front office has no logical way to keep him around beyond preseason, at least not yet as the roster appears set for opening night in two weeks time.
Warriors have no logical room for Dalen Terry on their roster
Even in his brief minutes during the fourth quarter of the first two preseason games, Terry looked like a player that might be worth persisting with. His performance against the Trail Blazers, which also featured shooting 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, was an emphatic exclamation of that very fact.
However, Brandon Williams is the only player currently on the roster with a non-guaranteed contract, and for as good as Terry has looked, there is no chance that the Warriors move on from Williams who has looked every bit a bargain signing and a key piece of their rotation entering the season.
Golden State have Charles Bassey and Georges Niang on partially guaranteed contracts, but they are too close to the second tax apron to be able to waive one of those two players and sign an alternative player such as Terry.
Even regardless, Bassey serves to play an important role with Kristaps Porzingis facing another illness concern entering the season, while Niang deserves more opportunity to impress after the veteran forward missed the entirety of last season through injury.
Dalen Terry requires trade to make Warriors roster
The reality for Terry is that he's destined to begin the season in the G league. He’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract as a fifth-year NBA player, meaning the only possible way for him to make the 15-man roster is through a trade that opens up a spot.
That simply isn’t going to happen in the next two weeks before the start of the season, but it might just happen in or around the February trade deadline where Golden State can utilize their expiring contracts and draft assets. We saw that happen in 2025 with the Jimmy Butler trade, allowing for opportunities for the likes of Pat Spencer and Kevin Knox II.
Terry therefore needs to continue his early form into the G League campaign and dominate at that level, ensuring he remains firmly on the front office’s radar if a roster spot is to become vacant later in the season.
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