Warriors Sign Brandin Podziemski To 5-year, $110 Million Extension

It’s safe to say that Brandin Podziemski has been the star of training camp for the Golden State Warriors. The fourth-year guard earned rave reviews at the start of camp for his play, looks to be in pole position for a starting job, and has shined in the team’s preseason games. And now he’s getting paid.

On Saturday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that Podziemski and the Warriors had agreed on a contract extension for five years and $110 million. Per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the first year of Podziemski’s deal (2027-28) will pay him $18.9 million, with subsequent pay raises pushing him to $20.4 million, $22 million, $23.5 million, and $25 million. The final year of the deal (2031-32) is a mutual option and, like most large NBA deals, the contract also includes a trade kicker, meaning Podziemski will receive a pay bump if the Warriors trade him (though the kicker can be waived to facilitate a deal).

Podziemski, who averaged a career-high 13.8 points per game last year while playing in all 82 of the team’s games (and starting 43 times), is in the final year of his first-round rookie scale contract. While the lefty made it clear that he was more focused on basketball than on future deals, there was a little bit of urgency in getting an extension sorted out because of the timeline. Players entering the final year of their rookie-scale contract have until the eve of the season to sign an extension; if a deal is not agreed upon by then, it cannot be signed during the season, and the player will enter restricted free agency in the offseason.

The deal makes lots of sense for both sides. For the Warriors, it’s a fair rate when you account for both the player Podziemski currently is, and the player the team hopes he can continue to develop into, while also locking him in for a great price if he has a breakout season, and keeping him from running up the price in a free agent bidding war. For the 23-year old Podziemski, it gives him a hefty pay raise (he’ll make $5.7 million this year), and also offers him security from any setbacks this year, such as injuries.

We’ll see if Podziemski celebrates by going off in tonight’s preseason game against the Sacramento Kings.