The Golden State Warriors filled a real need Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with point guard Brandon Williams. Golden State had been without a true backup for Stephen Curry since losing Pat Spencer to the Suns in free agency, and Williams gives them exactly that.
It’s a solid pickup on paper. Williams averaged 13.0 points and 3.9 assists in 66 games with the Dallas Mavericks last season, and his ball-handling and speed should take pressure off De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski, who’d been forced into more point guard duties than either was suited for.
But the move creates a problem for someone else on the roster.
What the Williams Deal Means for LJ Cryer
GettyLJ Cryer of the Golden State Warriors.
LJ Cryer is on a two-way contract, so Williams’ signing won’t push him off the roster outright. It will, however, limit how much he actually plays. Golden State’s guard rotation now runs through Curry, Melton and Podziemski as the top three, with Williams, Will Richard and Gary Payton II filling in based on matchups. There isn’t an obvious opening left for Cryer in that picture.
Had Golden State missed on Williams, Cryer likely would have been the favorite for the backup point guard job on a standard contract. Instead, that path is mostly closed. The Warriors already used their final standard roster spot on Georges Niang, signed to add shooting and size up front, which means the door for Cryer getting a bigger role this season has mostly shut.
That’s a tough break for a player who held his own in 18 games last year, averaging 8.2 points on 39.4 percent shooting from three. Williams brings more athleticism and shot creation, but his shooting has been a real weakness. His career three-point percentage sits at 28.0 percent, and it dropped to just 23.2 percent last season. Some evaluators would argue Cryer’s shooting fits Golden State’s system better, but coach Mike Dunleavy Jr. is betting on Williams’ ability to get into the paint outweighing that gap.
How the Two-Way Spots Are Shaping Up
GettyMalevy Leons of the Golden State Warriors.
Cryer isn’t the only player affected. Golden State only has three two-way contract spots available, and Cryer now looks locked into one of them. That leaves Malevy Leons, Lajae Jones, Graham Ike and Deivon Smith competing for the final two.
Leons currently holds one of those two-way deals, though nothing guarantees he keeps it once the season starts. Smith looks like the player most squeezed by the numbers, since it’s unlikely Golden State carries two small guards on two-way contracts when other positions need depth more.
None of this rules Cryer out for good. Injuries happen, and the Warriors can always convert him to a standard deal midseason if a roster spot opens up and they stay under the second apron. But for now, Williams gets the runway, and Cryer will likely spend more time developing in the G League than he would have otherwise.
Final Word for the Warriors
Williams fills a real need at backup point guard, and the fit with Melton and Podziemski should work better than last season’s setup. That part makes sense.
The tradeoff is Cryer’s opportunity. He showed promise in limited minutes last year, and with the roster full after Niang’s addition, there isn’t much of a path for him to prove more this season.
It’s not the end of his story here. It’s more of a delay, and for a young player trying to carve out a role, timing counts too.
Warriors’ Latest Move Could Be Bad News for Young Guard