Now that much of the Golden State Warriors' offseason business has concluded, they're left with one major decision— do they extend Brandin Podziemski, or do they allow him to play out the final year of his rookie deal?
There are merits to both paths. If they extend him this offseason, they could insure themselves against a potential breakout campaign that would put their long-term financial flexibility in jeopardy. If they wait, they'll be able to hedge against a down year from Podz and give themselves an extra season to evaluate his long-term fit with the organization.
On the surface, Podziemski seems poised for another productive season. Stephen Curry, Al Horford, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis are likely to miss 20 games each. If Podziemski is able to establish himself as a primary, aggressive scorer even when they're on the court, he could command upwards of $20 million annually on his next deal.
But by bringing De'Anthony Melton back into the fold, Golden State has saddled Podziemski with a challenge— one that he's already failed once before. If he wants this to be his breakout contract year, he'll need to seize the starting shooting guard role from Melton almost immediately.
That's anything but guaranteed at this point.
Brandin Podziemski needs to seize a starting role for the Warriors in 2025-26
When the Warriors first brought Melton into the organization in 2024-25, the hope was that Podziemski would outright earn the starting spot next to Stephen Curry in the backcourt during training camp and the preseason. He was unable to do so, and although Melton's torn ACL opened the opportunity back up for Podziemski, you could tell his mental confidence was shaken for much of the campaign.
2025-26 was much of the same. Podziemski was a part-time starter to begin the year, only entering the lineup as a full-timer in late February when Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Moses Moody were all out with injuries.
Podziemski made the most of that stint, averaging 17.8 points and knocking down 38% of his attempts from beyond the arc over his final 24 games.
But the Warriors chose Melton this offseason over a potentially higher-upside guard like Anfernee Simons because of how much they prefer his fit in the backcourt with Curry. He's a capable on-ball defender, and he has enough offensive juice to make a solid pairing with the superstar.
Entering the preseason, then, Podziemski will need to beat out Melton for the starting two spot— assuming Green and Yaxel Lendeborg or Gui Santos are the starters in the frontcourt. He desperately needs to carry over the momentum he gathered late last season to prove to the Warriors he's worth those sort of minutes.
As of now, Podziemski signing an extension with Golden State next offseason is the most likely outcome. But will the Warriors be willing to pay $20 million annually to a bench contributor?
If Podziemski wants to leave no doubt about his future with the team, he'll need to seize the starting role from the jump in 2026-27.
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