As the Golden State Warriors seek to fill out their roster for next season, one of the major holes in the current construction of their team lies in their lack of a veteran, ball-handling guard to help provide more stability to the backcourt.
Although young guard Will Richard is not the veteran ball-handler they are presumably seeking, he could certainly still make a rotational impact this season after exceeding expectations in Summer League.
Through four games in Las Vegas, Richard, the 56th overall pick in the draft, averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and two assists coupled with multiple solid defensive performances, and, through the course of the team's matchups, it was clear that he took strides in playing at the required speed.
Therefore, although Golden State's free agent market stands stagnant, they could have a solid back-up option to take on some minutes during the regular season.
The Warriors' prospects of bringing a veteran guard are looking less and less promising
As the Warriors have continued into the offseason, their complete lack of moves in free agency has likely been a direct result of the lingering Jonathan Kuminga situation. Due to complicated financial implications of a Kuminga sign-and-trade, Golden State has seen numerous desirable free agents sign with conference rivals as they have sat still.
The most recent example of this is Marcus Smart signing with the Los Angeles Lakers following the completion of his buyout with the Washington Wizards. Smart would have been a dependable, defensive-minded presence in the Warriors' backcourt, but the team was ultimately unable to land him.
Moreover, Bradley Beal, to whom Golden State offered the veteran minimum, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Chris Paul, in his final NBA season, appears to be looking to sign with the Clippers as well and has not been reported to be interested in a return to the Warriors.
Therefore, as the organization's options become more and more limited this offseason, they may need to focus their efforts on acquiring a solution to a more dire need, leaving a spot on the roster for backcourt minutes wide open.
With the likely departure of Gary Payton II, Golden State could certainly use a defensive-minded guard to help bring an extra punch to the team's backcourt.
Richard, with a cemented 3-and-D skillset, showcased much of his potential to fill this role in Summer League, using his defensive positioning to get deflections and showing a nose for the ball on the defensive end of the floor. Although he shot only 22.2% from beyond the arc in Vegas, his career 35.5% mark in college indicates that this will improve with time.
Moreover, the Warriors have a history of drafting second-round picks that make almost immediate impacts, most recently including sharpshooting center Quinten Post.
While adding a veteran guard is still the ideal option for this roster, if the front office fails to do so, Richard could be ready to make a similarly unlikely impact in his rookie season.