The Golden State Warriors are facing a significant front office dilemma that’ll take a huge portion of their upcoming summer. The franchise is trying to give Stephen Curry a core with which he can contend for an NBA Championship and needs to make some big decisions about the future of their current roster, especially with guard Brandin Podziemski becoming eligible for a rookie-scale extension.
Podziemski will play for the Warriors on a $5.67 million salary in the 2026-27 season, so any potential extension will kick in after next season. Jimmy Butler will likely create $56.8 million in dead cap next season as he recovers from an ACL tear, so the Warriors’ potential problems with a contract extension are long-term.
The Warriors have to carefully plot the future of the franchise as Curry might have years of high-level production still to give. Podziemski’s contract decision will determine the future core of the franchise.
Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard reported that there might be a salary expectation they have to match at the minimum with Podziemski. The Warriors guard might have his market set around the range of his teammate, Moses Moody.
“I don’t know if Podziemski’s worth much more than the three-year, $39-million deal that Moody got in October 2024, but I’m positive that he will want more. I also am relatively sure that the Warriors won’t want to pay Podziemski anything near the $123 million they paid Jordan Poole in October 2022.”
Moody is on a three-year, $49-million rookie extension that came into effect this season. He is making $11.5 million this season and will make $12.5 million next season.
The Warriors have a projected salary bill of $273.9 million next year, including Butler’s $56.8 million contract on the sidelines. But even with a minor salary hit for next season, has Podziemski shown he’s done enough to earn a summer extension of his liking?
Brandin Podziemski’s 2025-26 Season Stats
Podziemski is averaging 13.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals 1.1 steals, on 44.7% from the field and a respectable 36.9% from three on 4.9 attempts per game in 68 games this season, averaging 28.1 minutes. He’s seen an uptick in minutes in March as the Warriors deal with an injury crisis, which saw them lose three players in one game and currently have just nine active players in the rotation. Podziemski’s 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists stats over this stretch show mixed results, so the Warriors won’t feel comfortable entrusting him with a big contract given his on-court impact (-37 plus/minus).
There are contributions Podziemski makes beyond the box score, especially as an active backcourt defender next to Curry. But if a guard like De’Anthony Melton on a minimum and coming off an ACL tear is proving to be a more reliable offensive contributor, the Warriors can’t entrust him with a contract that eats up a huge chunk of their cap space.
If he gets the same deal as Moody, and we know he’s angling for more, he’d occupy 7.53% of the Warriors’ cap in 2027-28. If the Warriors come with a number he deems too low, he might have to take a risk and play out the next season without an extension and hope he can earn a big offer sheet as a restricted free agent in the 2027 free agency.
Versatile Backup Guard On A Contending Team
There is merit to having someone like Podziemski on the Warriors if they’re looking to remain competitive over the next few seasons. While the results have been mixed, Podziemski is a capable on-ball guard who can impact the game in almost every way. He’s a decent defender, can pass and rebound, while also being a three-point threat. His consistency is still an issue, but a contending team usually has a versatile wildcard like Podziemski on its roster to be an impact player.
The value of an impact role-player isn’t necessarily high, but he’s virtually guaranteed a contract offer that nets him over $10 million a season. The question is whether his potential and versatile playing style can help him negotiate a deal closer to $15-20 million a season.
There really is no situation where Podziemski leaves with the five-year, $125 million contract Jordan Poole signed with the Warriors in the summer of 2022 after coming off an NBA Championship win. But there’s a chance he can still get a big deal due to the proven impact he can have.
Warriors Need High-Value Role-Players On Affordable Contracts
The modern NBA has introduced a cold reality that previously high-spending NBA teams might have been unfamiliar with. The Warriors spent years building one of the most expensive rosters in NBA history, but the reforms the second apron’s introduction brought forced them and every other team in the NBA to get their salary sheets in order.
As a result, teams have started valuing home-grown stars whom they can sign to mid-size contracts instead of targeting one big fish or trying to replace them at a similar price point in the open market. The Warriors need someone with Podziemski’s familiarity and skill set to continue playing in the upcoming years, with the hope that the 23-year-old guard also progresses into becoming a more consistent version of the complete player than he already is.
Moody’s contract is strategic as well, as his production going up-and-down doesn’t inherently make his contract bad value because it’s affordable to the team’s overall cap. However, the player needs to still perform with enough consistency to warrant the Warriors tying up millions in future contracts in an era where it’s becoming harder to dump long-term salary to other NBA teams without a heavy draft pick cost.
Steve Kerr Maintains Continuity
Keeping Podziemski might help the Warriors to continue enjoying the positive impact he brings to the court within head coach Steve Kerr’s system. He is a +43 on the season, which is impressive given the Warriors have been losing a lot due to their ongoing injuries. Kerr is backing him to play heavy minutes through their current injury issues, which will build their communication as guard and coach. If Podziemski is the player Kerr wants in the backcourt alongside Curry, he will be the player tasked with that.
The Warriors have a 110.3 offensive rating on the season with Podziemski in the lineup and a 109.6 defensive rating, leading to a +0.7 net rating. This is a team that’s below .500 at the moment, so his being a positive contributor is enough of a positive for the Warriors to seriously consider a potential contract giving $50 million over four seasons ($12.5 million AAV). He’s also played every single game for the Warriors this season, proving he’s dependable in a league where availability is becoming the best ability.
Coach Kerr isn’t the kind to let productive players leave for nothing, so the franchise will likely make its best effort to retain him. However, Kerr’s personal beliefs on Podziemski won’t mean that GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. will hand him the kind of extension Jordan Poole received in 2022.
Potential Long-Term Upside Beyond Steph Curry
The biggest factor that’s creating uncertainty in Podziemski’s potential contract value is his long-term potential. Will he develop into more than a useful role-player? Even if he does, what’s his best use on a championship team or core around other first and second-option stars? The best-case with Podziemski for the Warriors right now is that he develops into being Curry’s co-star, but it’s unlikely he will be thrust into that role when Curry’s competitive window might not have more than a few seasons remaining.
It seems the best decision for both player and team would be to not agree on a deal in the summer and play out next season with Podziemski on the final year of his rookie deal. He’ll have the opportunity to boost his stats with the kind of opportunity he’s received in Jimmy Butler’s absence. If he’s genuinely progressed as a player, it should lead to an increase in production that could help him bump his value towards getting a deal that nets him $20 million AAV, similar to the contract Dillon Brooks is on.
If Podziemski can develop into this caliber of a player, the Warriors will consider him a key piece in a post-Curry future, given his age. The price for a player like that might be a little inflated, but that only comes to pass if Podziemski takes a step forward on the court between this season and the end of next.
