Golden State Signs Brandon Williams: One Year, $2.6 Million for Backcourt Depth

The point guard market loses one of its last appealing names. The Golden State Warriors have signed Brandon Williams to a one-year, $2.6 million deal, according to Shams Charania, ending the wait for one of the most interesting unrestricted free agents remaining on the market.

The investment is modest in dollars but valuable in fit. Williams, 26, arrives to be the third point guard in San Francisco behind Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski, though the actual rotation could give him more responsibility than expected: if Podziemski makes the jump to the starting lineup, and with the physical concerns Curry carries at 38 years old, the backup ball-handling minutes have a clear owner.

The Strange Summer of a Rising Player

What stands out is how long it took. Williams was coming off his best NBA season by far: 13 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 22 minutes across 66 games with the Dallas Mavericks, capitalizing on the void left by injuries in the Texas backcourt. Modest shooting percentages explain part of the market's coolness, but not all of it: the point guard seriously considered making the jump to the EuroLeague, the same path dozens of players in his profile are taking this summer, before the call from the Bay Area came.

His previous story is that of a survivor of two-way contracts: undrafted in 2021, he carved out a niche through scoring streaks with Portland first and Dallas after, until he earned a full roster spot. Now, his first guaranteed contract out of the gate with a contender... if these Warriors can still be called that.

Because the other reading is about the team, and it connects with what we analyzed in our Western Conference review: the team that pursued LeBron has ended up reinforcing itself with a $2.6 million contract. A useful move, yes. Championship ambition, that's another matter.