There wasn’t much doubt that the Golden State Warriors were interested in having Brandin Podziemski on a dirt-cheap $5.7M contract for 2026-27, but Thursday’s move made it official.
For Podziemski, who made the All-Rookie first team in 2023-24 and has started 64 games in his young career, the move guarantees his salary for next season and puts him in line to negotiate a rookie extension in the summer of 2026. He’s exceeded expectations after the Warriors chose Podz with the No. 19 pick in the 2023 draft out of Santa Clara. Podziemski led the league in charges drawn his rookie year, made the All-Rookie first team, and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.
Injuries limited Podziemski to 64 games in his sophomore season. People kept hitting him in the face, causing him to wear a protective mask. He got a mysterious illness in November, then an abdominal injury cost him four weeks in January. Between the illness and the injury, Podziemski started playing like an elite shooter, making over 40% of his threes. After the All-Star break, Podziemski averaged 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while hitting 2.5 threes per game on 43.5% shooting — excellent numbers!
Podz slipped a little in the playoffs while playing through a wrist injury that required offseason surgery, as did his previous core muscle injury, but he did have a 26-point game against the Houston Rockets and a 28-pointer versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season, he’s essentially duplicating last season’s numbers with better outside shooting (41.5%) and more steals (1.5 per game).
How much should Podziemski get in a rookie extension? The Warriors have nearly a full calendar year to figure that out, and when has this team ever let contract negotiations with a young player drag out? Currently, the Warriors have only $23.5M in salaries for the 2027-28 season, when a Podziemski extension would kick in, but he’ll still be quite affordable next year — a very nice player to have when Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler will be making over $119M combined.
They also might get a discount if they throw in free tickets to see the Golden State Valkyries, where Podziemski was a constant presence courtside at Ballhalla during their first season. That’s just one of many reasons it looks like Podziemski — deemed off-limits in most trade talks — could be part of this franchise a long time, not just through 2027.
