The Warriors made one of their biggest offseason decisions this weekend, locking up Brandin Podziemski on a five-year, $110 million extension and sidestepping the restricted free agency window that would have arrived for both sides in 2027.
At first glance, the price tag raises an eyebrow. An annual average of $22.5 million is plenty for a player who has still had his uneven stretches through his first three NBA seasons. But Golden State built the deal with some flexibility, front-loading it so the first year lands around $18.9 million and leaves the team with most of its cap space intact heading into what should be a huge offseason.
So in the immediate sense, the Warriors did well here. The longer-term verdict will ride entirely on what Podziemski becomes from here.
And the number itself does not have to be fatal if he keeps climbing. With the cap continuing to rise, $22.5 million a year starts to look a lot more manageable if Podziemski develops into a steady, versatile starter next to Stephen Curry before this next contract fully kicks in. If he proves that he can hold that spot by the end of 2026-27, the deal will suddenly feel much easier to live with.
That, though, is where the real question lives: can Podziemski actually be the right backcourt partner for Curry?
Golden State clearly likes the possibility. The team pursued De'Anthony Melton again in free agency, and he still appears to be in the mix for a starting role in preseason because his defense offers a cleaner fit beside Curry, even if he does not bring Podziemski’s on-ball juice. That contrast says plenty about where the debate sits.
Podziemski’s value is more obvious when he’s creating offense. When Curry was out with a knee issue last season, Podziemski finally settled into the starting group and flashed real scoring upside.
Over his final 24 games, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38% from three. Much of that came without having to function as Curry’s complement, but it gave the Warriors a clearer look at his ceiling.
The defensive gap between the two possible backcourt looks was not dramatic either. In 455 minutes last season with Curry and Podziemski sharing the floor and Melton off it, Golden State posted a 115.2 defensive rating. With Curry and Melton on the court and Podziemski off, that number was 114.7.
That leaves room for Golden State to try to patch over Podziemski’s weaknesses with stronger point-of-attack help from the wings, including Yaxel Lendeborg and Moses Moody when he returns. But that only works if Podziemski keeps showing he can pressure the rim, stay confident with the ball, and give Curry the spacing that makes the whole thing hum.
That’s the path. If Podziemski is going to make this extension look right, it has to come through a starting role next to Curry over the next couple of seasons. If he gets there, the dollars shrink in a hurry compared with what starting guards get around the league.
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Sonya has also recently addressed the rumors that have lingered around her past divorce, asking for privacy as old claims continue to resurface. For Steph and the Warriors, the on-court focus may always come first, but this was one of those personal milestones that matters just as much to the people inside the family circle. [Read more 🡒]