The Golden State Warriors are going to need every member of their rotation to step up in some way this season as they attempt to account for the absences of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. That, of course, extends to the more high-profile complementary pieces like Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski.
But it also extends to players who may be on the edge of the rotation entering the season, including second-year 3-and-D contributor Will Richard.
Richard had an excellent rookie season, especially considering the fact that he was selected with the 56th overall pick in the Draft. He appeared in 69 games for Golden State, even receiving a slew of starting opportunities near the beginning of the campaign and averaging 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while knocking down 33.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc. His hustle mentality and strong, lengthy frame make him a perfect defender to fit into the Warriors' new system, and that alone should help him claim some sort of rotational role in 2026-27.
But if Richard is going to become the player the Warriors need him to be, they're going to need to see more confidence and consistency from him on the offensive end of the court. He flashed that on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Will Richard needs to develop his offensive skill set if he's going to be the rotational contributor the Warriors need
Although the Warriors didn't make the flashiest moves this offseason, this rotation is certainly deeper than it was for much of last season.
Golden State now has a bona fide backup point guard in Brandon Williams, and the additions of Yaxel Lendeborg and Georges Niang will help solidify the frontcourt. Toss in LJ Cryer as a potential sharpshooting contributor and factor in the minutes that Steve Kerr will ultimately want to grant to Gary Payton II, and you can see how Richard's opportunities might be limited relative to his rookie year.
Especially in this new offensive system, Golden State is going to depend on all of their players to hit their perimeter shots consistently. As much upside as Richard likely has in that sort of role, he did shoot only 33.5% from beyond the arc as a rookie. Outside of his first season at Florida, he was also a sub-36% perimeter shooter across his college career.
For Richard, though, it was largely a matter of confidence and opportunity. There were times, even when he was in the starting lineup, where he seemed to disappear entirely on the offensive end. For a player just finding his footing at the NBA level and figuring out how to play next to Stephen Curry, that's entirely understandable.
But while the opportunity for Richard may be more limited this season, his offensive production can't be. He'll need to take his shots when they come to him, and he's going to need to knock them down consistently if he wants to earn Kerr's trust in this new-look offense. On Tuesday night against the Trail Blazers, Richard had 15 points and knocked down all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
It wasn't the most eye-popping performance, but it was a quiet sign that Richard is continuing to develop as a shooter and in his understanding of his role within the offense. He looked clean, efficient, and confident with enhanced minutes, and that's exactly what Golden State needs heading into 2026-27.
One preseason game isn't enough to confidently say Richard is taking that leap. But he also looked like the most confident and comfortable player on the floor for large stretches of Golden State's Summer League run—and that's saying something considering the overall talent that was on that roster. The outing against Portland, then, is hopefully just the most recent sign that Richard is advancing in the way the Warriors need him to.
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