The Golden State Warriors rounded out their roster Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with veteran forward Georges Niang. The move filled one of the team’s final open spots heading into the season, and it came alongside a separate deal with guard Brandon Williams.
On paper, it’s a minimum-level addition for a bench that needed more shooting. But almost immediately, the signing sparked a comparison to one of the more beloved role players in recent franchise history.
That comparison isn’t a stretch once you look at the details.
Why Niang Draws Comparisons to a Warriors Champion
GettyGeorges Niang of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Peter O’Keefe of Blue Man Hoop laid out the case for why Niang’s signing echoes Otto Porter Jr.‘s brief but memorable run with Golden State during the 2021-22 championship season. Both are big-bodied forwards who lean on size rather than athleticism to hold up defensively, and both fit the same offensive mold as floor-spacing bigs who can knock down threes at a high level. Porter shot 37 percent from three that title season. Niang enters as a career 39.9 percent shooter from deep, giving him a real chance to top what Porter provided.
The injury parallels are just as striking. Porter arrived in Golden State coming off multiple foot injuries that limited him to 42 games over two seasons, and lingering foot soreness eventually pushed him toward retirement not long after the title run. Niang, who had been durable for most of his career, missed all of last season with a stress reaction in his own foot. The Warriors have already announced Niang will wear No. 32, the same number Porter wore during that championship year.
How the Warriors’ Roster Has Changed Since Then
GettyOtto Porter Jr. celebrates from a double decker bus during the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship victory parade.
The context around this roster looks nothing like it did in 2022. Only four players remain from that championship team: Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II and an injured Moses Moody. Porter’s role back then was especially important because Golden State lacked floor spacing next to Green and Kevon Looney up front. That gap doesn’t exist the same way now, with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford already providing shooting at the center spot.
That doesn’t mean Niang won’t matter. With Moody and Jimmy Butler both starting the year sidelined by injury, Golden State needs bench scoring early, and Niang profiles as exactly the kind of shooter who can punish opposing defenses focused on Curry. He connected on 40.6 percent of his threes back in the 2024-25 season split between Cleveland and Atlanta, evidence the shooting was still sharp right before the lost year.
Final Word for Golden State
Nobody’s expecting Niang to replicate a championship run the way Porter did. That’s an unfair bar for a bench addition on a one-year minimum deal. But the shooting profile, the size, even the jersey number all point to a role Golden State has seen work before.
If health cooperates and the outside shot falls the way it has for most of his career, Niang gives the Warriors bench something it’s lacked. Whether that turns into anything close to what Porter meant to this franchise is still unknown. The similarities, at least, are already there.
Golden State Warriors Make Roster Move That Sparks Bold Comparison