Warriors guard Will Richard to miss time with torn ligament in left thumb

Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar) (Tony Avelar/Associated Press) The Golden State Warriors may be down a rotation wing for the foreseeable future.Guard Will Richard has suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb, according to Golden State's injury report that listed him as out for Monday's game against New Orleans. The severity of the tear is unknown.After beginning the season on the fringes of Steve Kerr's rotation, Richard has slotted into the Warriors' starting lineup for a few games as the small forward as Gui Santos has battled knee tendinitis. He shifted back to the bench Saturday night against Orlando, scoring four points in 12 minutes.Richard has offered strong spot stints of point-of-attack defensive aggression and spot-up shooting, authoring a 42.9% clip from 3-point range in 10 games to start 2026-27."He's kind of the perfect guy for that role," Kerr said Nov. 2, on Richard's changing stay-ready minutes. "Just really smart, and simple game. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes, can guard multiple positions."After winning a national championship at Florida, Richard was drafted by the Warriors in 2025. He showed hints of two-way promise in a 69-game rookie season, and is averaging 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.2 minutes thus far in 2026-27.SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Warriors guard Will Richard to miss time with torn ligament in left thumb.