The Golden State Warriors are facing down an uncertain future.
Steve Kerr's contract situation remains unresolved, and speculation has abounded regarding the end of his time in Golden State. Draymond Green has a player option, and his future could depend upon his willingness to set that to the side and accept an extension at a slimmer annual value. Two of their primary contributors, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, are sidelined at least until the middle of next season.
This era of the Warriors has come to a head. They must determine what they want the future of their organization to look like this offseason.
But underlying all the drama, all the intrigue, there's a more simple storyline. Brandin Podziemski is extension-eligible this offseason. No matter how you feel about Podziemski's long-term ceiling, they must get him locked down.
Brandin Podziemski's extension is a sneaky priority for the Warriors this summer
Podziemski's time in Golden State has been controversial, to say the least. The organization has made clear they view him as a long-term cornerstone beyond the end of the Stephen Curry era. But his inconsistent play and untimely aggression offensively have not always endeared him to the fanbase.
But with a fresh opportunity in the latter portions of this season, Podziemski proved he can be, at the very least, a consistent scoring threat. Podziemski re-entered the Warriors' starting lineup on February 25 after spending the better part of the season in a bench role. Over his final 24 games, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38% from 3-point range.
It was the best sustained stretch of basketball in his career to this point.
The Warriors shouldn't throw the checkbook at him this offseason. There's too much uncertainty in his game. Somewhere in the range of $20 million annually should be sufficient.
But if Golden State chooses to let negotiations drag on into next season, it could come back to bite them. The departure of De'Anthony Melton seems likely. Depending on how the Warriors choose to fill out their roster, Podziemski should have the same level, if not more, opportunity to prove himself in 2026-27.
If he takes another step forward, the Warriors could quickly have another contentious restricted-free-agent scenario on their hands. Locking Podziemski down at a moderate annual value must, therefore, be a priority this offseason once the dust has settled on their more pressing decisions.
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