The Golden State Warriors still have two roster spots to use before the season starts, and one of the names being pushed into the discussion is Brandon Williams. The case for the former Dallas Mavericks guard is simple: Golden State has room to act, and the clock on those choices is getting shorter.
That matters now because the Warriors have already used their only external addition on Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, then filled out other openings by bringing back Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Gary Payton II, De'Anthony Melton and Charles Bassey. With Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan off the market over the weekend, the pool has thinned further, leaving Golden State to choose carefully between a guard and a frontcourt piece.
Golden State's most likely path at this point appears to be Georges Niang or Kelly Olynyk in the 14th roster spot, and that helps explain why Brandon Williams stands out. The Warriors' greatest need likely lies in the frontcourt, and Olynyk would fit the idea of adding extra minutes at center if that route wins out. But the argument for Williams is that the backcourt is not barren either, with Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton already part of that mix.
The friction is obvious: the stronger need is up front, yet the recommendation is to spend one of the remaining openings on a guard. That does not make Williams a luxury. It makes him a test of whether Golden State wants to preserve flexibility with one slot and use the other on the clearest frontcourt answer, or whether his scoring and ballhandling are enough to force a closer look before the offseason closes.
Dalen Terry remains part of the picture as well, after rumors of Golden State's interest in a training camp deal and a WNBA game appearance with members of the team seemed to add weight to that idea. Terry averaged 3.7 points and shot 43.9% from the field in his stints with the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers last season, which shows how many of the remaining options live more on fit than on upside. For Golden State, the next move is not about finding every answer at once. It is about deciding whether Brandon Williams is worth one of the last chances to change the backcourt before the season begins.
