The Golden State Warriors are entering training camp with a major decision to make. Does Brandin Podziemski or De'Anthony Melton start in the backcourt alongside Stephen Curry?
As of now, Melton seems like the obvious choice. The Warriors re-signed him this offseason over other options like Anfernee Simons primarily because of his defensive fit next to Curry. If he's able to shake off some of the inconsistencies that plagued him late last season, Melton can absolutely become a viable game-to-game starter for Golden State.
The Warriors certainly aren't going to factor Podziemski's looming extension negotiations into their decision. They'll simply do whatever is best for the team. But that also needs to be a consideration here, at least from an outside perspective.
Any hope that Podziemski has of maximizing the value of his next contract lies in his ability to match the production we saw from him late last season when the rotation was depleted. If he's limited to a bench role, his chances of doing that will decline severely.
But more than pure production, Podziemski needs to prove himself as a consistent and confident scorer before the Warriors will be willing to place a long-term value on him. A bench role, at least at the start of the season, may be his best path to accomplishing that.
Brandin Podziemski needs to establish himself as a consistent contributor for the Warriors in 2026-27
Podziemski will never not be a polarizing figure on this Warriors roster. In part, he's positioned himself that way with his claims of being a cornerstone for this roster moving forward.
But he proved that, in part, with his production late last season. After entering the starting lineup in late February, Podziemski averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. It was a stretch like we'd never truly seen from him before in his NBA career. He's always been active with the ball in his hands, but he was hitting his 3-point shots with confidence and was working his way downhill at a relatively high rate.
Compared to what we saw from Podziemski for stretches of the 2024-25 season, it was almost a complete turnaround.
But let's be realistic here. Podziemski's long-term ceiling is likely as a viable, starting combo guard—not as a star scorer or a primary on-ball threat. That means that, in all likelihood, Golden State can't afford to pay him over $20 million annually on his next deal without hamstringing their post-Curry finances before the era even truly gets started.
In theory, Podziemski earning a starting role from the jump would allow him to push the envelope on that assumption. But if he's in a high-pressure role from early in the season, limiting his touches next to Curry and the rest of Golden State's starting lineup, there's a real chance we see some of his flaws creep into his game early in the season.
In a bench role, Podziemski would be able to receive a full complement of touches, pairing at times with Curry and at others with the Warriors' current second point guard Brandon Williams. He would get the space he needs to operate as a scorer with potential floor spacers like Gui Santos and Al Horford in the fold, and it's not as though his minutes would be severely limited even in that role. Podziemski averaged 26.3 minutes across the 39 games he came off the bench last season.
For a player like Podziemski, limiting the scope of his role is key to maximizing his impact. If Golden State can rely on Melton to start next to Curry and take on a moderate workload this season, they may actually be able to place Podziemski in the best possible position to carry over some of his momentum from the end of this last campaign.
Of course, such a move may limit Podziemski's earnings on his next contract by a few million dollars. But in terms of his long-term development, it may be the best thing for him—and for the team as a whole.
Add us as a preferred source on Google