Gui Santos knew exactly what he was doing when he picked up the phone.
The Golden State Warriors forward had just signed a three-year, $15 million extension, a life-changing moment for a former second-round pick who spent his first season grinding in the G League. Instead of delivering the news casually, Santos decided to add a little drama when he called his parents in Brazil.
“They were very excited, emotional. More than anybody, they know how tough it was for me to make it here. Just to have that call, I was kind of serious, like, ‘Dad, mom, I got something serious to talk about to you guys.’ And they thought I got my fiance pregnant.”
“I was doing that on purpose. Because when your son calls and says, ‘I’ve got something really serious to talk about,’ they know my life is good. I’m not out here doing anything wrong. So that’s the only thing they could’ve thought. Like, oh, we’ve got a mini Gui coming.”
“So yeah, it was just a joke. They were like, ah, okay. But if that was the news, they’d love it too. It would just be different… Now I can get some more Guis going.”
For a few tense seconds, his parents braced for what they believed was unexpected family news. Instead, their 23-year-old son told them he had secured his future in the NBA. The relief quickly turned into emotion.
Gui Santos’s fiancee, Julia Lawrenz, has been a steady presence throughout his rise. The couple got engaged in June 2025, months before the extension. Lawrenz is a Brazilian volleyball player who competed at Florida South Western State College and helped lead her program to a national championship. Standing at 6 feet 1, she shares the same competitive background and international journey as Santos, which has strengthened their bond as young professional athletes building careers abroad.
And the extension represents more than financial security. It validates a developmental journey that began when the Warriors selected him with the 55th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Santos spent his entire first year with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, adjusting from being a ball-dominant point forward in Brazil to carving out a role within Golden State’s system.
Patience became his defining trait. He learned to defend multiple positions, crash the glass relentlessly, and make quick decisions within a motion offense built around Stephen Curry’s gravity. The organization’s investment in his growth has now paid off.
This season, Santos is averaging a career-high 6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 53.0% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range. Those numbers only tell part of the story. Since Jimmy Butler went down with a season-ending ACL injury in January and Curry missing time, Santos has stepped into a larger role. Over a recent 16-game stretch, he has averaged 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 56.9% from the field and 40.3% from three-point range.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly praised his growth, calling him one of the organization’s best development stories. From a second-round flyer to a rotation fixture, Santos has earned trust through consistency and energy. For Santos, the extension also carries a deeper meaning. He is currently the only Brazilian-born player in the NBA, a fact that weighs on him in a positive way. He views his platform as a responsibility.
The contract reportedly includes a player option in the final year, giving Santos flexibility while keeping him in the Bay Area through his prime development years. It also ensures long-term stability for his family, something he emphasized after signing. His parents may have expected a very different announcement that night. Instead, they received confirmation that their son’s persistence had paid off in the biggest way possible.
