Warriors ‘Optimism’ on Brandin Podziemski Contract
· Yahoo Sports
The Golden State Warriors have pretty much handled all the business the team has on its plate for this offseason, with one glaring omission–there still is no contract extension for guard Brandin Podziemski, the fourth-year player who will need to do much to fill the shoes of Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody as those two recover from knee injuries.
Podziemski is due for a rookie scale extension, and the sides have until October 19 to work out a deal. But there is not much pressure on Golden State to get something done, because even if the deadline passes, the Warriors still will hold Podziemski’s rights and be able to keep him in restricted free agency.
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But it would be cleaner, in general, to simply have Podziemski lock in on a new NBA deal now.
‘Optimism’ on Brandin Podziemski’s Warriors Contract
It is unlikely that Podziemski is going to ask for too hefty a number. One wrinkle to the Warriors’ process is that the team wants to protect cap space for 2027, but because the team expects to keep him beyond next summer, the Warriors will be charged a cap hold of $17 million. Therefore, there is no advantage for the Warriors to wait until next summer to sign Podziemski–his new deal would not start at much more than $17 million anyway.
According to Warriors beat writer Nick Friedell of The Athletic, those reasons make it clear enough that something should get done with Podziemski soon.
Said Friedell, on the ‘“Warriors Plus/Minus” podcast with Tim Kawakami, “Podz can potentially take another step. And we are going to see in the next couple of weeks if they can get this extension done, though there remains optimism on both sides that they can.” “
New "Warriors Plus-Minus" with @NickFriedell — The Yaxel Arrival, the Podziemski Situation and the Porzingis Question Mark-Apple: https://t.co/e6xK3BWfvV— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) October 8, 2026
Take Warriors at Their Word
That’s with good reason. Podziemski has not outplayed the Warriors; price tag for him, and the team has done enough to bring him along that Podziemski still wants to remain there.
The Warriors have been open about wanting Podziemski to stay. Podziemski has been open about wanting to stay put. That’s usually a good sign.
From Friedell: “I take each side at their word. I mean that, Podz has repeatedly said, I want to be here. I made a name for myself and I enjoy living out in the Bay. Mike Dunleavy and the Warriors–we love Podz, we believe in him, we are confident we can get this done. Rare is it for me to see both sides be so open where they say, ‘We want to make this work,’ and it does not happen.
Brandin Podziemski an X-Factor
As X-factors go, Podziemski and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg are the potential keys for the Warriors. Better to get him locker in now.
More from Friedell: “They need Podz and Yaxel to be very good. I think it is within them. The question for me with Podz is, they were raving about him in Hawaii. He came in in great shape. His head is in the right place. … I think it is within him. But that is the Warriors’ whole year. Can Podz take another step and can Yaxel be the guy on both ends that they want him to be. If the answers to both questions are yes, then this can be a fringe playoff team that puts a scare into somebody.”
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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