For the past few seasons, we've seen the Golden State Warriors try to saddle the infamous 'two timelines' approach. In terms of identifying future stars while maintaining competitiveness with Stephen Curry on the roster since their 2022 championship run, they've objectively failed at that aim.
But as Curry becomes eligible for what will likely be the final contract extension of his career, that lofty goal is set to take on a much more tangible feel in 2026-27. When Curry's career inevitably comes to an end, who can they trust to remain on the roster and continue to contribute at a high level?
They don't have any stars in the making for that post-Curry void, unless you want to bet on major development from Brandin Podziemski as he enters his second NBA contract. But a rebuild requires more than just a star or two to help a team reach championship contention.
It takes consistent, reliable contributors, and in the modern NBA, those sorts of players often live on the wing. For a team near the second apron, cycling out a talent like Will Richard in favor of veteran contributors might be an option. For Golden State, Richard has a chance to solidify himself as a future piece of this team as soon as this season.
Will Richard has what it takes to be a long-term contributor for the Warriors, even if the star potential isn't there
The Warriors' decision to nab Richard with the 56th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has already been a smashing success. He took on major minutes for Golden State over the course of last season, even starting a smattering of games near the start of the campaign.
Across 69 appearances, Richard averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while knocking down 33.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Those aren't Rookie of the Year stats, but they show a baseline of well-rounded offensive production that Richard can continue to build upon in his sophomore season.
Of course, Richard still has a lot of room to grow, and he's going to need to take major strides in 2026-27 if he wants to hold onto a major rotational role. While the defensive upside is there, he needs to continue to leverage his physicality and hone in his agility on the perimeter, becoming more comfortable in the Warriors' defensive rotations in the process. On offense, he simply needs to shoot more.
We know he has both perimeter-shooting and downhill upside from his time in college, but it seemed as though he was more than willing to take a backseat even when Golden State needed him to produce more consistently during his rookie season.
If we're trying to sort out who the 'cornerstones' of a rebuild might be, Richard almost certainly isn't one at this point. But any path Golden State has to even semi-competitiveness after the end of the Curry era likely depends on maximizing their defensive capabilities while seeking out potentially dynamic offensive stars in the draft. That will require an established base of reliable contributors familiar with Golden State's offensive system and identity.
Richard certainly has the potential to be one of those pieces. He simply needs to keep building on what he accomplished in 2025-26.
Add us as a preferred source on Google