Hey Blazers fans, remember Brandon Williams?
Williams was a rookie for Portland during the forgettable 2021-22 season. He showed some fun flashes, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists across 24 games. But after that year, the Trail Blazers let him walk.
Fast forward to today, and he’s joining the Golden State Warriors via free agency after having a career year with the Dallas Mavericks. Williams is far from a household name, but he’s become an impressive rotation guard, and a breakout with the Warriors could be in the cards for him.
Williams emerging as a crucial piece for Golden State would be a gut punch for Portland, and not just because they gave up on him. The Blazers will be in direct competition with the Warriors for a postseason spot in 2026-27. Williams cooking for a rival would only make the pain worse for Rip City.
Brandon Williams has slowly blossomed since Portland let him walk
Williams’ lone stint with the Blazers was an intriguing one. He first signed with Portland in December that year, smack-dab in the middle of the team’s injury-induced tanking efforts. The situation was disorganized, but the freshman stepped in with cool confidence and produced.
Despite his solid play, the Blazers waived Williams in October 2022, and in retrospect, that wasn’t smart. It took him a while to find his footing, but the Arizona product has turned into a real NBA player, and he should only keep getting better.
In 2022-23, after Portland released him, Williams played in the G League all year. He got another NBA chance in December 2023 with the Mavs, and he capitalized on it. In three seasons in Dallas, he progressively improved, and eventually broke through as a full-time backup.
The 2025 Play-In Tournament was his coming-out party on the national level. He scored 17 points in 17 minutes as the Mavericks beat the Kings in the 9-10 game, and went down fighting with 16 points and seven assists when Dallas lost to Memphis in the next round.
Williams was able to parlay that postseason showing into a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign. He notched 13.0 points and 3.9 dimes in 22.2 minutes per game, slicing and dicing as a microwave off the bench with his truly elite ball handling, driving, and finishing abilities. The crafty guard has a case to be one of the most underrated players in all of hoops right now.
Williams breaking out with Golden State would hurt the Blazers for multiple reasons
All signs point to Williams continuing his ascension with the Warriors if he’s given a bigger role. The 26-year-old has the tools to become a Sixth-Man-of-the-Year-caliber pace-changing backup—he just needs the green light to rock out.
If Williams does reach that potential, the Blazers won’t even have time to kick themselves for quitting on him. They’ll be too busy trying to block blows from him and the rest of the Warriors as they battle for a playoff berth in a loaded Western Conference.
Portland’s decision to set Brandon Williams aside hasn’t really been recognized as a mistake yet, but that could change in 2026-27 if he hits stud status. Here’s hoping he doesn’t fry the Blazers in the play-in next April.
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