The Golden State Warriors have just moved on from what was an often tumultuous situation with Jonathan Kuminga, but they could soon be facing a similar position again with another young player.
Brandin Podziemski will be the next Warrior player eligible for a rookie extension, but insider Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard has painted a pretty bleak picture when it comes to the chances of a new deal this offseason.
Warriors may repeat Jonathan Kuminga drama with Brandin Podziemski
Identifying Podziemski's value is diffiuclt to pinpoint toward the conclusion of his third NBA season. While he's far from the step into stardom that he and Golden State may have thought possible at the end of his rookie year, he's remained a consistent rotation piece who plays big minutes and who has taken advantage of all the team's recent injury issues with increased production in recent weeks.
Kawakami questions whether Podziemski is worth much more than the three-year, $39 million deal that Moses Moody has just started, but is adamant that the young guard and his camp will certainly want more. Kawakami mentioned Jordan Poole's four-year, $123 million contract as one the Warriors wouldn't want to go near on Podziemski, but that leaves room for major contrast on how player and franchise assess the value.
With such a contrast, Kawakami believes Podziemski could go without an extension, forcing him into restricted free agency and potentially setting up an awkward situation akin to what we saw with Kuminga.
"So is everybody OK with no deal next cycle, some tensions growing, and this going to restricted free agency in July 2027? (Yes, that always goes well!)," Kawakami wrote.
Kuminga's story is well documented, having gone without an extension that led to a restricted free agency that wasn't resolved until the end of September last year, and which was completed with the likelihood of a future trade that eventually took place before last month's deadline.
Warriors can't afford more unneccesary distractions
With Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler currently contracted till the end of next season, there's a real chance that the Warriors only have one more real shot at a deep playoff run with this iteration of the roster.
Golden State have already been criticized for not prioritizing the remainder of the Curry era as much as they should, and they simply can't afford more unnecessary distractions stemming from younger players looking for their first big NBA contract.
The positive is that Podziemski, at the very least, is a bonafide role player the Warriors (and especially Steve Kerr) trust in a way that was never evident with Kuminga. That should offer some hope that an awkward situation doesn't take place, even if the 23-year-old does ultimately hit restricted free agency.