The Golden State Warriors are entering an offseason potentially defined by considerable flux, and one player whose longterm future remains undecided is former first-round pick Brandin Podziemski.
For his part, Podziemski made his preferences clear on Monday, April 20.
“I want to be here for the long term,” Podziemski said, per Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “It’s always special having the team that drafted you, so, hopefully, we can get something done.”
The 23-year-old guard just completed his third campaign in Golden State. He inked a four-year rookie deal worth $16.25 million in 2023, which has one team-option season remaining for 2026-27 at the price of $5.7 million.
“Podziemski said he hasn’t discussed a new deal with the Warriors yet, but he is optimistic that his agent, Bill Duffy, and general manager Mike Dunleavy will work something out over the next few months,” Friedell reported. “Podziemski admitted that seeing how fellow young players Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga handled their contract negotiations with the Warriors will factor into his decision.”
Brandin Podziemski Took Major Heat for Steph Curry Comments
GettySteph Curry and Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.
Podziemski has taken some heat from his own fanbase, as well as others in the league, about comments he made last offseason heading into the 2025-26 campaign, in which the young guard said he intends to eventually be a better player than two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion Steph Curry.
“Podziemski made a number of comments in the lead-up to the season about his long-term career ambitions,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in November. “[He] said he ‘wants to be better than [Curry],’ an answer that elicited some eye rolls and continued references from several within the organization.”
Podziemski addressed those comments in a late March interview with “95.7 The Game.”
I think I could have worded them a little bit differently, but I also think how it’s perceived on the internet is a little taken out of context. Your biggest strength can be your biggest weakness, and I think it’s gotten me to this point.
I think with that, it’s just something you strive for, seeing the greatest player at the point guard position, the same position you are. If you have the opportunity to be better than him, obviously anybody would, and I think that’s where I was going with that. Not that I’m going to be better than him. Just that if I can be, obviously, I would [want to].
Brandin Podziemski Produced Career Year for Warriors
GettyBrandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors.
Podziemski appeared in all 82 contests in 2025-26, earning a career-high 43 starts and playing a career-high 28.5 minutes per night.
He averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent shooting from the 3-point line on five attempts per outing.
Curry has stated publicly that he believes he has multiple years left, despite having just one season remaining on his contract. He added that he wants to sign an extension with Golden State this offseason.
Eventually Curry will retire or leave the organization, at which point someone will have to take the lead for the Warriors. Whether Podziemski is capable of that, and whether Golden State wants him to be a part of its longterm future, remains unclear as of now.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Podziemski Makes Bold Declaration After Warriors’ Substandard Season appeared first on Heavy Sports.