Nate Williams' run with the Golden State Warriors appears to be over after the team chose not to make the 6-foot-5 guard eligible for the postseason, leaving him out of Wednesday's Play-In game against the L.A. Clippers. He would have needed his two-way contract converted to a standard deal to suit up, and without that move his time with Golden State has almost certainly ended with the regular season.
The decision matters because Golden State had not made any moves after Sunday's regular-season finale against the Clippers, even as it continued with center Charles Bassey on the back of his 10-day contract. Bassey played five games and averaged 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 20 minutes while shooting 67.7% from the floor, a strong stretch that strengthened his case for the 15th roster spot as the Warriors sorted out the end of the roster.
Williams joined the Warriors from the Long Island Nets in February, but his path forward is now narrow. He cannot be on a two-way contract next season after four years in the NBA, which means any return to Golden State would have to come on a standard contract on the main roster. That makes his situation harder, not easier, because it is highly unlikely the Warriors are keen to use a main-roster spot on him next season.
There is a further layer to that calculation. Williams was viewed as a possible replacement for Gary Payton II on next year's roster, but Payton's strong recent form points the other way and makes him the more likely player to be re-signed. Golden State's choices at the end of the season have left Williams on the outside, and unless the team changes course, his brief stop in San Francisco will be remembered as an audition that never quite reached the final stage.
