The Golden State Warriors selected Florida guard Will Richard with the No. 56 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The pick was acquired by Golden State from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Richard became the third Florida player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft and the 7th drafted from the program across the last 12 years.
“The kid is an incredible light bulb, an incredible human being,” head coach Todd Golden said in San Antonio. “We looked at his numbers at Belmont — incredibly efficient as a freshman, high-usage player, great rebounding rates, great steal rates, great block rates … We're like, ‘If we can get 13 Will Richards on this roster, we're going to make the Final Four.’”
The former Gators product spent three years with the program and averaged 11.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Richard played a pivotal role in Florida’s national championship run and was instrumental in leading the Gators’ 12-point comeback in the title game.
Richard led Florida with 18 points and shot 5-10 from the field. He scored 15 or more points three times during the Gators’ six-game tournament run.
The Fairburn, Georgia, native helped form one of the most talented backcourts in Florida program history alongside senior guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin. During the 2024-25 season, the trio combined to average 46 points per game.
Richard often took the backseat to Clayton, who finished the year with a slew of national awards, but rose to the occasion when his name was called. Against the South Carolina Gamecocks Jan. 22, Richard tallied 22 points and scored a game-winning layup to come back down 14 points in the second half.
Richard began his collegiate career at Belmont and was the first transfer Golden brought in when he was hired in March 2022. The 6-foot-4 guard was recognized early on for his grit and leadership among the locker room.
The former Florida guard will join a Golden State backcourt led by All-NBA guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors finished the 2025 NBA season with a 48-34 record.
Contact Luke Adragna at ladragna@alligator.org. Follow him on X @lukeadrag.
Luke Adragna is working his fifth semester at The Alligator and returns as the Summer 2025 assistant sports editor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his cat Pete and researching niche professional athletes (shoutout Jacquizz Rodgers).
