The Warriors have spent this offseason trying to keep their books as clean as possible, and Brandin Podziemski’s new extension fits that plan almost perfectly.
Golden State locked up Podziemski on a five-year, $110 million deal that runs through at least the 2030-31 season. The contract includes a mutual option on the final year and a trade kicker, and the news was first reported by Shams Charania via X. On paper, the deal averages out to $22 million per season, but the first year comes in at just $18.9 million.
That timing matters. The Warriors were not forced to do the extension now, and there was a real argument for waiting.
Podziemski’s value was coming off a strong finish to last season, and Golden State could have spent this year getting a better read on where he fits long term. But with the season about to begin, the team chose certainty over delay.
The contract also keeps the Warriors’ bigger financial plan intact. It trims about $2 million from their cap room next offseason, but it still leaves them with plenty of room to maneuver. In fact, Golden State can now have up to $60 million in cap space after this season.
That flexibility has been the whole point of the offseason. The Warriors entered it with limited wiggle room, which showed up after their chase of LeBron James fell short. Since then, the goal has been to set up a roster reset around Stephen Curry next summer.
They already brought in Kristaps Porzingis on a two-year, $40 million deal with a player option next offseason, and only $3 million of that salary is guaranteed, making him a likely trade piece if the right deal appears. Draymond Green returned at the full value of his would-be player option, $27.6 million, but that now functions as an expiring contract heading into 2026-27.
Curry also took less than the max on a two-year, $116 million extension. Golden State could also move off Jimmy Butler, De’Anthony Melton, and Al Horford, with Melton and Horford holding player options.
By turning Podziemski’s $17 million cap hold into a real $18.9 million salary for next season, the Warriors gained certainty about their financial picture while preserving the ability to chase bigger moves. That flexibility could matter in a trade for a star before the season ends, or later in the offseason when the team has the chance to spread money around even after making a major deal, as long as that deal does not bring back a max contract.
There are plenty of names that could fit that kind of swing. Aaron Gordon, Dejounte Murray, and Trey Murphy III may be available via trade, and there is still a chance Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns reach the open market.
Podziemski’s deal could end up looking expensive if his development stalls and the full $22 million annual average starts to feel heavy. But for now, the Warriors get what they wanted most: a young player under contract and one last layer of financial flexibility for what could be a pivotal 2027 offseason.
In Other News...
Ben Simmons Gets An Early Shot To Haunt The Warriors
Ben Simmons is lined up to make his Sacramento Kings debut against the Warriors, a tidy little preseason wrinkle for a team that had at least some offseason interest in him. Simmons had been held out of the Kings' first two preseason games, so his first chance to get on the floor in a Sacramento uniform is arriving against a familiar opponent that spent part of the summer weighing whether he fit into its plans.
For Golden State, the matchup adds another layer to a game already being watched closely because Simmons has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2024-25 season. There is intrigue both in how the Kings plan to use him positionally and in how the Warriors will look back on their decision to pass, especially with a player of Simmons' profile now returning to action in a uniform that is not theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Just Put Pressure On The Warriors Front Office
Stephen Currys latest extension keeps him tied to Golden State, but it also sharpened the focus on what has changed around him. Since the Warriors 2022 championship run, the roster has seen only limited reshaping, and the club heads toward the 2026-27 season with modest outside expectations, shaped as much by health concerns as by the lack of major additions. The clock is already ticking toward an Oct. 21 opener on the road against the Lakers, a setting that tends to expose where a team really stands.
Currys comments about the state of the roster landed with extra weight because he is no longer speaking like a star simply enjoying the ride. By signing on again, he effectively doubled down on Golden States direction, but his remarks also underscored the pressure on the front office to keep pace with the realities of an aging core and a thin margin for error. However the season starts, the Warriors are carrying more than familiar championship expectations now, and Curry made sure that point is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Have A Real Shot At A Major Center Upgrade
Karl-Anthony Towns suddenly looks like a name Golden State has to keep on the radar. Reports that the Knicks have paused contract extension talks have created a new opening, and the Warriors are among the teams viewed as best positioned to chase him if the situation keeps drifting. With expiring contracts, draft assets and young players to work with, Golden State has the kind of flexibility that can at least put it in the conversation for a major frontcourt swing.
For the Warriors, the appeal is obvious. Towns would bring a clear upgrade at center over Kristaps Porzingis, who is dealing with an illness during preseason, and he would fit the profile of a move that could change the shape of the roster quickly. The real question is whether the door stays open long enough for Golden State to make a serious push, especially with the club still managing its own cap picture and extension business elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]