Will Richard made an impressive start to his NBA career, quickly emerging as a potential steal for the Golden State Warriors after being taken with the 56th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Fast-forward 12 months and Richard risks following the same career trajectory as former Warrior Trayce Jackson-Davis, having fallen to the edge of Steve Kerr's rotation despite immense injury issues for the franchise to start the season.
Will Richard risks same career trajectory as Trayce Jackson-Davis
Richard averaged 20 minutes and started in 21 games during his rookie year. He announced himself in his first start against the Sacramento Kings on November 5, exploding for an incredible 30 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor.
But the 6'3" guard also hit the rookie wall after the All-Star break and ultimately wasn't part of Kerr's rotation for the two Play-In games against the L.A. Clippers and Phoenix Suns. It was a sour end to an otherwise impressive rookie season, with hope that Richard could still become a long-term player for Golden State.
He did play 20 minutes in Wednesday's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, but 12 of them came in garbage time during the fourth-quarter as the Warriors faced an embarrassing 30+ point deficit.
Those eight minutes through the first three quarters came despite the obvious absence of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, along with starting shooting guard Brandin Podziemski who was dealing with back soreness.
He jumped off the bench to play over three minutes in the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, yet wasn't seen again as Golden State collapsed to a second-straight defeat after leading by 12 with less than four minutes remaining.
The Warriors believed in Richard enough to give him a four-year deal coming out of the draft, much like they did with Jackson-Davis who once looked like a long-term player after he was taken 57th overall at the 2023 NBA Draft.
Tracye Jackson-Davis slowly faded from Warriors relevance
Jackson-Davis was a revelation during his rookie season, becoming a starter for the team which continued into the first half of his second year. The 6'9" big man utilized his athleticism to have an impact in the paint on both ends of the floor, but after a while his scoring limitations became problematic for a team already possessing Draymond Green in the frontcourt.
Jackson-Davis eventually faded into rotation obscurity, particularly once Quinten Post emerged as a stretch five in his rookie year followed by the addition of Al Horford in free agency last year. The 26-year-old was traded to the Toronto Raptors at February's mid-season deadline, having struggled to find a role there since.
You can't help but feel Richard may be headed down a similar path, and that an exciting career start from an older second-round pick ultimately overshadowed too many limitations for him to become a long-term NBA player.
The good news for Richard is he should get plenty of opportunity when the depleted and short-handed Warriors travel to Phoenix for a second night of a back-to-back on Saturday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google