Not long after Thursday’s revelation that Brandon Williams’ contract with the Golden State Warriors was non-guaranteed, it was also reported that the franchise has signed former first-round pick Dalen Terry to a training camp contract.
It puts Williams immediately on notice over the remainder of the offseason and heading into training camp. His place on the 15-man roster is literally not guaranteed, offering extra motivation for not only he but also Terry and other training camp invites that will inevitably be added over the coming weeks.
Brandon Williams put on immediate notice with Dalen Terry signing
It still appears highly likely that this will be the 15-man roster come opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers in October. Williams was signed for a reason — he offers something Golden State need with his speed off the dribble and general shot-making, something the team lacks even before considering the ongoing absence of six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Williams is also far more proven than Terry or any other player the Warriors are likely to bring to training camp. The 26-year-old averaged 13.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists with the Dallas Mavericks last season, while Terry holds underwhelming career averages of 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists across four years with the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers.
Terry as a 6’6” wing makes some sense given long-term injuries to Butler and Moses Moody, but seemingly not as much as Williams considering Golden State only have 38-year-old franchise superstar Stephen Curry and the two-way contracted LJ Cryer as their other two point guards on the roster.
Despite all this, Williams is still on the edge. The contracts of Charles Bassey and Georges Niang are only partially guaranteed, but they’re guaranteed enough, and the Warriors are close enough to the second tax apron, that the front office wouldn't be able to waive one of that pair and sign an alternative player before opening night.
Warriors give themselves optionality and create training camp battle
Williams is particularly at risk if an unforeseen name hits the market over the next month as teams look to finalize their roster, just as we saw with Golden State legend Klay Thompson who signed with the Miami Heat.
At the very least, Williams won't be just playing for rotational minutes but his spot on the roster come training camp and preseason. Putting a roster spot on the line is generally good for competitive spirit, and played a big role in the Warriors' last championship when Gary Payton II beat out the more reputable (at the time) Avery Bradley ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Terry is likely to join Santa Cruz in the G League if he doesn't do enough to warrant a main roster spot, and/or if Williams impresses sufficiently to have his contract partially guaranteed by opening night.
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