The Warriors checked off a major item on their offseason list Saturday, locking in Brandin Podziemski on a long-term extension while still preserving real flexibility for next summer.
Golden State and its starting guard agreed to a five-year, $110 million contract extension, according to Podziemski’s agent Bill Duffy, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal keeps Podziemski out of restricted free agency next summer and includes a fully guaranteed structure with a mutual option in the final season, 2031-32, plus a trade kicker. As ESPN’s Anthony Slater explained, that mutual option gives either side the ability to opt in, but not opt out, and leaves room for the two sides to revisit extension talks that offseason.
For the Warriors, the big win here isn’t just retaining a young starter. It’s the financial shape of the deal. NBA insider Brett Siegel noted that Podziemski’s extension should still leave Golden State with “upwards of $50M in potential cap space” next summer.
“While he and his representation would obviously want to try and maximize a contract extension, these figures are a little unrealistic for Podziemski at this juncture. That is why there is a wide belief that an extension for Podziemski would fall in the $16 million to $18 million range, which would help the Warriors immensely and still give them max contract cap space next summer," NBA insider Brett Siegel wrote.
Siegel also said, “At an AAV of $22M, Brandin Podziemski will be under contract for roughly 12% of the cap, a really solid number for the Warriors to sign Podz long-term.This still ensures that the Warriors will have upwards of $50M in potential cap space next offseason,” Siegel said.
Golden State’s summer has had plenty going on, including its effort to navigate free agency and sort out what kind of extension offer makes sense for Steph Curry. The expectation is that the team should be able to get a deal done with Curry that works for both sides.
Podziemski’s extension gives the Warriors another important piece for the future while keeping the books in a place that could matter a lot next summer. It also lets the front office shift focus to the regular season with one more key decision already wrapped up.
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