Just when Dub Nation was starting to feel optimistic about the health of the Warriors, they have been dealt a tough blow to a key rotation player.Guard Will Richard is listed as out for Golden State’s matchup Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans with a UCL tear in his left thumb, according to the official NBA injury report.
It currently is unclear how much time Richard will miss with the injury, which is on his non-shooting hand.
Richard is in his second season with the Warriors after he was selected No. 56 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Florida. He quickly inserted himself as a trusted member of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation in his rookie year, averaging 20.0 minutes per game across 69 games (21 starts).
This season, Golden State again was counting on Richard to step up in place of the injured Moses Moody, who isn’t likely to return from a torn patellar tendon until at least December. Through 10 games (three starts) in the ongoing 2026-27 NBA campaign, Richard is averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds on 52.6-percent shooting from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range in 17.2 minutes.