The Golden State Warriors got an absolute steal in the second round of last year's draft with their selection of Will Richard at 56th overall.
Players selected that low don't normally play major roles for their organizations—especially not as rookies—but the Warriors were enticed enough by Richard's two-way upside and league readiness to give him a guaranteed contract from the jump during his first NBA campaign. That decision paid major dividends.
Although Richard still lacks a certain offensive polish to his game, he took on major minutes for Golden State over the course of the season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while knocking down 33.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He's better suited for a bench role entering his sophomore campaign, but you can be sure that he's a major part of Golden State's plans as they attempt to account for the absences of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody.
The influence of their belief in Richard, therefore, could extend even to their looming training camp battle between Brandon Williams and Dalen Terry for the 15th roster spot. If the Warriors have confidence in Richard as a substitute on the wing for Moody this season, the decision between the pair becomes a whole lot easier.
Brandon Williams is the obvious choice for the roster if the Warriors don't need major help on the wing
Of course, both Williams and Terry have a case to wind up on the Warriors' final 15-man roster.
Williams has experience as a lead ball-handler, taking over major responsibilities with the Dallas Mavericks last season in the absence of Kyrie Irving. Across 66 games, Williams averaged 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists while knocking down 47.2% of his attempts from the field.
But if the Warriors are looking for potential two-way impact, Terry's case is somewhat obvious as well. Although his production has been highly limited across his four NBA seasons, the two-way upside is there at 6'6" and 195 lbs, and he has more of a perimeter shooting pedigree than Williams does.
Golden State, moreover, has needs at both positions. With Moody out until at least mid-season, the Warriors can never have enough potential perimeter shooters and on-ball defenders in the rotation. But with concerns lingering about the knee issue that sidelined Curry for a large swathe of last season, having a true point guard to work behind him on the bench could help alleviate some of the pressure the superstar will face over the course of the season.
So which need outweighs the other? This is where Richard comes in.
The Warriors are obviously counting on improvement from the second-year forward heading into 2026, especially on the offensive end. If Richard can start to sink his perimeter shots at closer to a 36 or 37% rate and maintain his impact on the defensive end of the court, Golden State should feel more than comfortable utilizing him as their primary wing off the bench, placing him in the mix with Yaxel Lendeborg and, eventually, Moody in the rotation.
In short, if they feel Richard is ready to take on an enhanced offensive role, the need for Terry can fall to the wayside temporarily—leaving Williams with an even clearer path to fully claiming the team's 15th roster spot in training camp.
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