Brandon Williams spent most of his NBA career quietly. He got his first professional shot with Portland in 2021-22, 24 games, a look, a learning experience.
He bounced back to Dallas for spot appearances in 2023-24. He came back on a two-way contract in 2024-25. And then, last season, the Mavericks' injury situation handed him the stage he had never had, and he did not waste it.
With Kyrie Irving gone for the year after tearing his ACL and D'Angelo Russell getting phased out of Jason Kidd's rotation, Williams was suddenly not a depth option. He was the point guard.
He played 66 games, started 15 of them, averaged 13.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes, the best numbers of his career by a significant margin. He shot 55.2 percent on two-point attempts.
He made 79.3 percent of his free throws. He is quick enough to create separation against NBA defenders, smart enough not to force the issue, and tough enough to stay on the floor when the team needed him.
The 26-year-old from Arizona became, for one season, a legitimate NBA contributor on a team that desperately needed one.
Dallas chose not to retain him. The Mavericks need shooting, they ranked 28th in three-pointers made and 26th in three-point percentage last season, and Williams, who shot 23.2 percent from three, was not going to fix that.
The decision to move on was understandable even if Williams had earned a real contract. He hit free agency with real momentum and real interest from real teams.
Why Golden State Was The Right Landing Spot For Williams
The Warriors were the best fit from the moment interest leaked in late June. Golden State entered this offseason having gone through a painful summer, Steph Curry is 38 years old, the franchise is in a genuine transition and the plan to surround him with LeBron James fell apart when James chose Philadelphia.
The team needed someone who can play the point guard role, protect the ball and take pressure off Curry in a backcourt that is thinner than it has been in years.
Williams does those things. He led the Mavericks in assist-to-turnover ratio last season.
He attacks downhill in a way that creates real problems for defenses, even without a reliable outside shot. And at the minimum salary, the risk is essentially zero.
If his shooting improves even modestly, the upside is substantial. If it doesn't, he is a useful backup point guard at a price that doesn't compromise the roster.
The connection to Golden State goes deeper than this offseason. During his time in Portland, new Mavericks GM Mike Schmitz, then Portland's assistant GM, was one of the architects who gave Williams his first NBA opportunity. The basketball world is small.
Williams went from a Portland two-way player to a Dallas breakout story to a Golden State Warrior in four years. He is 26 years old. He has spent his career working for every opportunity he has received.
The Warriors just gave him the biggest one yet, a chance to play meaningful basketball next to one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and prove that last season was not a fluke.