Warriors' Brandon Williams Signing Could Be Bad News for Rising Guard

The Golden State Warriors needed a backup point guard, and they got one Tuesday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with Brandon Williams.

It's a shrewd pickup from a Warriors team that needs more ball-handling and athleticism.

But it's likely bad news for LJ Cryer.

How Williams' Contract Affects Cryer

Cryer is signed to a two-way contract, so Williams' deal will not force him off the Warriors roster.

However, Williams' presence will limit how often Cryer plays with Golden State.

When healthy, the Warriors will be using Stephen Curry, De'Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski as their top three guards. After that, they will look to Williams, Will Richard and Gary Payton II based on matchups.

There's no room for Cryer in that depth chart.

Had the Warriors missed on Williams, they would have been more likely to give Cryer a standard contract.

It's still possible he gets the last standard contract roster spot, but the Warriors will almost assuredly be looking for someone who can provide more forward or center depth, such as Georges Niang or Kelly Olynyk.

This isn't to say that Cryer will never play for Golden State. There will be injuries that force him into action. He can work his way into a bigger role, and the Warriors will have to the option to give him a standard contract midway through the season if they can clear a roster spot and stay under the second apron.

But without Williams around, Cryer likely would have gotten more opportunities to convince Steve Kerr he deserves a bigger role. Instead, he'll likely spend a lot of time playing for the G League team while Williams gets somewhat consistent NBA minutes.

That's a shame for Cryer, who acquitted himself nicely in 18 games last season, averaging 8.2 points while shooting 39.4 percent from three.

Though Williams is a more explosive athlete and ball-handler, his lack of three-point shooting and tendency to over-dribble are legitimate concerns.

Some will argue that Cryer is a better fit for the Warriors' style of play, but Mike Dunleavy Jr. is banking on Williams' ability to get into the paint as being more valuable than having another shooter on the floor.

How Williams Signing Impacts Two-Way Contract Decisions

Cryer isn't the only player impacted by the Williams signing.

Like all teams, the Warriors have just three two-way roster spots to use. Now it looks like Cryer is locked into one of them.

That leaves Malevy Leons, Lajae Jones, Graham Ike and Deivon Smith vying for just two spots.

Leons is the only one currently signed to a two-way contract. But that doesn't guarantee he'll still be under contract when the season starts.

Smith seems like the most impacted player here. The chances that the Warriors give two small guards two-way contracts seem low. The other two-way spots should be used to create depth for other positions.

If the Warriors don't give Smith a two-way, one would think another team will.

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