SAN FRANCISCO – Brandin Podziemski is in line to sign a lucrative new contract this offseason.
Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement in place since 2023, player salaries have been skyrocketing, and Podziemski’s won’t be an exception. It will certainly be a larger figure than the $5.7 million he will earn next season, before the extension kicks in.
While the deadline to sign isn’t for several months, Podziemski and the Warriors have interest in an extension that will keep the 23-year-old under contract for years to come.
“I want to be here for the long term,” Podziemski said at his exit interview in April. “It’s always special having the team that drafted you, so hopefully we can get something done.”
The Warriors have made it known that they plan on emphasizing youth next season, and Podziemski could be a building block both next year and in the post-Curry era.
So exactly what kind of money should fans expect on Podziemski’s deal? Several members of the 2022 draft class – one year before Podziemski was drafted – signed extensions last offseason, providing a blueprint.
Jabari Smith Jr. signed a five-year, $122 million deal and Keegan Murray signed a five-year, $140 million contract that same summer. Shaedon Sharpe and Dyson Daniels each agreed to contracts worth over $90 million.
Podizemski, who was the No. 19 pick in the 2023 draft, may not make close to $25 million a season, but the going rate of a starting shooting guard in today’s NBA is not far off.
Take the players who made the conference finals.
Luguentz Dort is making $18 million this season as a 3-and-D wing, while Devin Vassell is pulling in $27 million. Catch-and-shoot specialist Max Strus is pulling in $16 million for the Cavaliers and Josh Hart makes $20 million for the Knicks.
Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski speaks during the team’s exit interviews held at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 20, 2026. The Warriors 2025-26 season ended with a loss to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA play-in tournament earlier this week. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
To say Podziemski is of the same caliber as those players is debatable but not outlandish, and at just 23 years old, he is still expected to improve.
Podziemski returning on a Murray-style deal probably won’t happen, but a contract in the ballpark of $80 million would be in line with what his peers are making.
General manager Mike Dunleavy made it no secret that inking Podziemski to a new deal is a priority for the Warriors, who saw him play in all 82 games this season.
“If you want a player back, it’s got to work for you and him, and hopefully we can come to a contract agreement before the start of next season,” Dunleavy said.
While he was not the most consistent player to begin the year, both in role and minutes, Podziemski found his stride after the trade deadline. Despite playing heavy minutes and being asked to do more on an injury-riddled roster, he played the best ball of his young career.
Podziemski averaged 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while starting 24 of 30 games after the deadline. After previously voicing his desire to become a ball-dominant creator, he began to buy into coach Steve Kerr’s consistent message that playing off the ball would actually be best for the team.
“He can help himself by actually getting off the ball earlier in a possession and then getting it back,” Kerr said during the season. “The defense is closing out on him; he can use that leverage to get past people, make a pass, score a layup.”
Though his lowlights are often meme-worthy online, most of the advanced statistics – such as win shares, value over replacement player and box-plus-minus – paint Podziemski as a positive contributor even on last season’s struggling team.
What will that be worth to the Warriors? They and Podziemski can decide when free agency begins in late June. His deadline to reach a deal is Oct. 31, and Warriors fans saw with Jonathan Kuminga last summer that these negotiations can drag on.