Warriors, Podziemski work toward rookie-scale extension before Oct. 19 deadline
The Golden State Warriors and guard Brandin Podziemski are working toward a rookie-scale extension, with both sides wanting a deal done before the Monday, Oct. 19 deadline. No terms are attached to the report.
Podziemski, 23, is entering his fourth NBA season after playing last season on a $3.7 million salary. The report carries one condition: a deal depends on beating the clock.
The ledger: Podziemski was paid like the 279th player in the league last season and produced like the 78th, per WAGE, a WAGE Score of 81 in the Smart Money tier.
He is one of several likely extension candidates named this week, alongside Brandon Miller in Charlotte, Anthony Black in Orlando and Cason Wallace in Oklahoma City. From the 2023 draft class, only Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson and Keyonte George have signed rookie-scale extensions so far.
Podziemski averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season.
He played in all 82 games, made 43 starts and shot 37.1 percent from three.
After the All-Star break, he averaged 17.5 points across 27 games.
On the Pay vs Play chart, the gap between his salary and his output widened across two seasons. In 2024-25, he was paid like the 275th player and produced like the 109th.
Last season, the pay held near the same spot on the list while the production climbed to 78th. Per unit of production, he was the 29th-cheapest of 399 rated players.
That is the case for the production he has already shown: a guard on a rookie salary whose output sat far above the price.
The coaching staff wants more of the late version. Podziemski said head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy told him in end-of-season meetings to "do what you were doing the last six weeks." He said the work now is finding "the little gaps to add a little bit more."
Kerr described Podziemski's training camp as "great" through its first three days and has called him one of the team's best players. "He can dribble, pass, shoot," Kerr said. "You can put him at any spot out of a timeout. Really versatile and obviously crucial to make the whole thing go."
Podziemski addressed the talks directly. "I mean, obviously, I would love a deal," he said. "Obviously, there's been mutual interest between me and the organization."
He added that "all options are always on the table, until it's a done deal."
In the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu, Podziemski scored 7 points on 2-of-10 shooting in 18 minutes.
Stephen Curry said afterward that Podziemski is the "same player, same talent" and looks "a little stronger, little quicker." Curry said the next step is being decisive and not turning down open threes.
An extension shifts the weight on the Pay vs Play chart. At $3.7 million, the output ran well ahead of the pay. A new deal moves the salary up the list and asks the production to follow it.
He is eligible for a rookie max extension. One cap projection puts Golden State at $38 million to $55 million in space next summer, with that flexibility shrinking if a Podziemski extension runs above $17 million.
A deal priced on last season's full body of work pays for production ranked 78th in the league. A deal priced on the 27 games after the All-Star break wagers on the version the coaching staff asked him to repeat.
The deadline is Monday, Oct. 19. If the Warriors neither extend him nor pick up their team option, Podziemski could reach free agency next summer.