The Golden State Warriors seem content to enter the new season without an extension done for Brandin Podziemski.
Nothing's set in stone yet, but the deadline for Podziemski's extension—which will expire on the eve of the regular season—is approaching somewhat rapidly. It seems as though there's been very little talk of helping him outright avoid restricted free agency this offseason. That's likely the right move.
Podziemski has shown some flashes during his Warriors tenure, especially when he became a primary option late last season on an injury-riddled roster. But he's also been highly inconsistent, at times seeming entirely inefficient or unconfident with the ball in his hands. If Golden State gives him a second contract, he'll likely be paid as a long-term complementary starter for this team.
He needs to prove he can be that before Golden State extends that type of offer.
But with De'Anthony Melton back for another season and the backcourt starting to take shape, Podziemski is again left with no choice. If he doesn't assert himself from the outset of training camp and seize a starting backcourt spot next to Stephen Curry, he'll be left watching his value drop before his very eyes.
Brandin Podziemski needs to defend his starting role— or face the consequences
There's certainly a case to be made for Melton to start alongside Curry in the Warriors' backcourt. Although he was limited from a standpoint of production last season—he averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting a lowly 29.4% from beyond the arc—his defensive upside makes him a solid pairing for Golden State's superstar.
If Melton's able to hit his perimeter shots and the Warriors get some additional spacing out of Kristaps Porzingis and Yaxel Lendeborg, putting Melton in the starting lineup will be a perfectly justifiable move.
But Podziemski needs to do more than simply squash that competition with his play. Of course, if he spends much of the season as a bench piece, he loses virtually any leverage he has in restricted free agency.
Even if he's able to fend off Melton, though, and claim that starting spot, he needs to carry whatever momentum that grants him into the regular season. At this point, Podziemski is likely looking at somewhere in the range of $17-20 million annually. He's simply been too inconsistent as a scorer and too erratic as a ball-handler to break that threshold.
Podziemski won't lose his spot to someone like Gary Payton II, LJ Cryer, or Dalen Terry—who seems slated to sign a training camp deal with the Warriors in the near future.
But with the possibility of signing Brandon Williams still on the table, this backcourt is shaping up to be much deeper than originally anticipated. Podziemski alreay has his work cut out for him, and if he wants to prove he's worth of the extension he desires, there will be very little margin for error from the very start of training camp.
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