Is Brandin Podziemski looking to get paid?
It’s another pivotal season for the Golden State Warriors as they try to add one more championship to the legacy of Steph Curry.
Curry has re-signed for another two years, remaining with the only team that he’s ever played for.
After failing to make the playoffs last season and missing the postseason in two of the last three seasons, the Warriors didn’t make any sweeping changes in the offseason, returning veterans like Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Gary Payton II, and Kristaps Porzingis.
While the Warriors will be hoping for health from their veterans and continued All-Star-level play from their future Hall of Famer, perhaps the biggest impact can come from fourth-year player Brandin Podziemski, who is in the last year of his rookie deal.
Podziemski Speaks On His Contract
Podziemski has shown improvement in each of his first three seasons in the league. He’s only 23 years old, a year younger than their first-round pick in 2026, Yaxel Lendeborg.
He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason, though his value is up in the air as he’s shown to be a solid player, but not an All-Star-level player.
Speaking at media day about his contract situation, Podziemski said, “I’ve never played this game for the dollar.”
He said that it would be great to get something done.
Asked if they aren’t able to get a deal done and if it would affect his play, he said that those things don’t influence his play and that he wants to go out there and do what he can to help the team win.
“When it’s supposed to happen, it’ll happen,” he said.
Podziemski’s Value
Podziemski has increased his scoring from 9.2 points in his rookie year to 11.7 points in his sophomore year, and 13.8 points last season.
He’s maintained his three-point shooting and increased his volume, shooting 38% on 3.2 attempts his rookie year, and still shooting 37% on five attempts last season.
He can grow in all areas of the game, most notably as a creator for himself and his teammates. He’s shown chemistry with Curry, as the two had a +5.7 net rating when they were on the floor together.
When Curry was off the floor and Podziemski was on, the team had a -1.5 net rating. That shows he might be a little too reliant on Curry, and needs to find his own offense that doesn’t rely so much on Curry’s gravity.
He did show great chemistry with Porzingis, and if he can find chemistry with Lendeborg, we could see the best version of Podziemski, and one that will make it difficult for the Warriors to not pay him.
