As soon as the Golden State Warriors drafted Will Richard with the 56th overall pick at last month's NBA Draft, there was immediete discussion over the potential ramifications for beloved veteran Gary Payton II.
Nearly three weeks since the start of free agency and Payton remains unsigned, while Richard has probably been the biggest positive to an otherwise uninspiring summer league campaign for the Warriors.
Will Richard signing could mean the end for Gary Payton II
Across six summer league appearances dating back to the California Classic, Richard is now averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 23 minutes per game. His 3-point shooting hasn't quite been there at 43.1% from the floor and 20.7% from beyond the arc, but he's provided two-way impact that suggests there could be an NBA future in store.
Following Golden State's last scheduled summer league game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area made the case for the franchise to sign Richard to a standard contract and put him on the main roster.
"At 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he (Richard) shows the kind of two-way effectiveness coach Steve Kerr and his staff are craving. He’s 22 years old and probably would have the lowest salary on the roster. For someone who was the 56th overall selection in the 2025 draft, he plays like a keeper," Poole wrote.
Even if the Warriors don't project Richard to be part of their fully healthy rotation next season, signing him to a standard contract could be vitally important in the front office navigating the payroll around the first or second apron.
The minimum rookie-scale contract for second-round picks next season is $1.27 million, which is enough of a difference to the veterans minimum that it could play a big factor. Golden State could be left in a situation where they choose between signing Richard to a standard deal, or re-signing Payton on the vet minimum which would leave the young guard on a two-way contract.
If the Warriors do sign Richard to the main roster, there would be little need for them to also bring back Payton assuming they finalize a deal with De'Anthony Melton. Having Melton, Richard and Payton on the roster seems like overkill, particularly when Golden State already have Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and even Moses Moody as prominent back court players.
Payton has been around Golden State's summer league squad earlier this week, but the 32-year-old has also been linked with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers following a notable change in agent.
Richard and the Warriors will play their consolation summer league game in Las Vegas on Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers starting at 4:30 PT.