The Golden State Warriors brought the bulk of their offseason business to an end yesterday, signing both Brandon Williams and Georges Niang to minimum contracts to fill out their 14th and 15th guaranteed roster spots.
Although it's disappointing that summer league standout LJ Cryer won't be given a path to compete for one of those spots, both signings make sense. Brandon Williams brings some experience as a lead ball-handler to the rotation, and he'll likely come to be an important depth piece behind Stephen Curry in the backcourt. Although NIang hasn't played in an NBA game since 2024-25, he's a versatile forward who can give the Warriors some extra juice in the frontcourt.
They're now left with just one two-way spot to fill between now and the start of the season, and that will likely come down to a training camp competition between second-round selection Lajae Jones and undrafted free agent Graham Ike, who was Golden State's starting center for most of their summer league appearances.
As appealing of an option as Ike may be as the Warriors still carry concerns about their depth at the center position, Jones is the type of piece that can truly make his mark during the preseason. Golden State still needs help on the wing, and this pair of roster moves leaves a path open for Jones to provide that.
Lajae Jones has a real chance to win the competition for a two-way spot with the Warriors
There's a clear case for Ike to claim that final two-way spot alongside Cryer and Malevy Leons. Although he's somewhat limited offensively, he showed flashes as an interior scorer and rebounder during his stint with Golden State in Summer League. Across nine games, he averaged 10 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting a respectable 48.4% from the floor.
Golden State has Charles Bassey already in the fold, but with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford both expected to miss at least some time during the regular season, depth at that position is always a valuable thing to have.
But for the sake of argument, let's lay out the case for Jones.
At 6'7" and 200 lbs, Jones has the size and the lateral athleticism to be a real on-ball defensive threat on the perimeter. As we saw in Summer League, he plays with intensity on that end of the court, and the offensive upside is certainly there as well. He was inconsistent during the Warriors' stint in Vegas, but he averaged 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while converting 42.7% of his attempts from the floor during his final college season.
With Moses Moody out until at least mid-season, Golden State doesn't have a true wing defender or perimeter shooter outside of Will Richard. There was buzz around them potentially adding Dalen Terry on a training camp deal, but the signings of Williams and Niang have put a swift end to that.
Neither signing addresses that need on the wing, though. If Jones can hit his perimeter shots in camp and continue to flash the versatility and defensive acumen that always seems to appeal to Steve Kerr, he'll have a real shot to wind up on this roster in some fashion by the time the regular season kicks off.
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