The Golden State Warriors and guard Brandin Podziemski agreed to a five-year, $110 million rookie-scale extension on Saturday, according to ESPN. The deal, negotiated by Podziemski’s agent Bill Duffy, is fully guaranteed and locks in the 23-year-old guard through the 2030-31 season with a mutual option for 2031-32, according to CBS Sports.
Podziemski was set to earn $5.6 million in the final year of his rookie contract this coming season. Instead, his new deal kicks in immediately with an $18.9 million salary for 2026-27, a jump that reflects Golden State’s decision to buy out any restricted free agency leverage before it arrived.
The Terms Of The Podziemski Extension
The Podziemski 110 million extension carries a first-year salary of $18.9 million, more than three times what he was due to make in the final season of his rookie-scale deal. ESPN reported the extension also includes a trade kicker, per Bleacher Report, and a mutual option covering the 2031-32 season.
By signing now rather than waiting for restricted free agency next summer, Podziemski’s $18.9 million salary costs Golden State roughly $1.9 million more than his projected cap hold of about $17 million would have been, according to ESPN. That premium bought the Warriors cost certainty and locked in a player general manager Mike Dunleavy has prioritized since taking over the front office.
What The Deal Means For Golden State’s Roster
Podziemski was the first player Dunleavy selected as GM after his hiring, taken 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. The extension signals the Warriors view him as a long-term piece on a roster that, as Bleacher Report noted, does not have many established building blocks beyond the extension’s final figure.
Golden State has guarded its 2027-28 cap flexibility carefully, carrying a roster stacked with expiring contracts and four tradeable first-round picks. Stephen Curry agreed to a $10 million pay cut for next season specifically to preserve the team’s room to add talent through free agency or trades, according to ESPN.
Despite the new money committed to Podziemski, Golden State could still have between $55 million and $60 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Part of that flexibility comes from the option to waive Kristaps Porzingis, who has only $3 million guaranteed on a $20 million salary.
Podziemski’s Role And Production
Podziemski played all 82 games in 2025-26 and set career highs across the board, averaging 13.8 points, 1.9 made three-pointers and posting career bests in assists and steals. He shot 37.1% from three on 5.0 attempts per game and finished fourth on the Warriors in scoring, according to Bleacher Report.
He has averaged more than five rebounds per game in each of his three seasons, an unusual rate for a guard, and ranks among the top three players in charges drawn since entering the league, per ESPN. The Warriors have won his minutes by a positive margin in each of his first two seasons, including a team-best plus-264 as a rookie and a plus-261 mark last season that trailed only Curry and Draymond Green.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Podziemski’s impact beyond the box score. “Brandin is a huge part of our team. He makes people better.
He understands the game,” Kerr said, according to ESPN. Kerr has also described him as a “connector” whose underlying metrics support his value to the lineup.
What’s Next For Golden State
Podziemski figures to start in the backcourt alongside Curry to open the 2026-27 season, according to CBS Sports. That could change once Jimmy Butler III is cleared to return, which is not expected until sometime in 2027. Golden State opens the season without both Butler and wing Moses Moody, who are rehabbing serious knee injuries, and the timeline for Porzingis remains unclear.
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