Brandin Podziemski is staying in Golden State. The Warriors announced Saturday that they have signed the 23-year-old guard to a rookie-scale contract extension, and ESPN's Shams Charania reported the deal is worth $110 million over five years. The team itself did not disclose the money.
The contract is fully guaranteed and includes a mutual option for the fifth year, the 2031-32 season, plus a trade kicker, Hoops Rumors reported. Getting it done now means Podziemski, the 19th pick in the 2023 draft, won't become a restricted free agent next summer. The league's deadline for extensions in his draft class is Oct. 19.
A raise that barely dents the cap plan
Podziemski earns about $5.6 million this season. According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, his salary jumps to $18.9 million next season, only a little more than the roughly $17 million cap hold the team would have carried for him anyway. Spotrac contributor Keith Smith put the later years at $20.5 million, $22 million and $23.5 million, with $25 million in the option year.
That structure matters because general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has been guarding the team's 2027-28 cap space. NBC Sports reported the Warriors expect about $55 million to $60 million in room next summer to pursue a star to pair with Stephen Curry, or to re-sign Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Curry himself agreed last month to an extension that includes a pay cut next season, a move SFist reported was tied to keeping that flexibility.
Why Golden State wanted him
Durability is a big part of the pitch. Podziemski was one of only 18 NBA players to appear in all 82 games last season, and he set career highs in points per game at 13.8, along with made threes, assists and steals, SFist reported.
"Brandin has continued to improve and expand his game since he entered the league as a mid-first round pick, and we think his upward trajectory will only continue," Dunleavy said in the team's announcement. "He's a durable, skilled, two-way player that makes our team better each time he takes the court."
Coach Steve Kerr, speaking before Saturday's preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, called it "a win-win," according to the Associated Press. "He secures his future financially. And it's a deal that makes a lot of sense based on our numbers," Kerr said.
Podziemski is the fifth player from the 2023 class to sign a rookie-scale extension, joining Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson and Keyonte George.