The Golden State Warriors have a big money decision to make. And it is not only about Stephen Curry. Curry’s contract situation could give the Warriors a chance to create a lot of cap space in 2027. But Golden State also has to make an important decision about Brandin Podziemski.

Brandin Podziemski is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He can now sign an extension with the Warriors. Golden State has many reasons to keep him, but deciding how much money he deserves may not be easy.

Several young NBA players have recently received huge extensions. Those deals could also affect Podziemski’s contract talks.

Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon recently discussed the situation on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective. Windhorst explained why Podziemski’s $17 million cap hold could make an extension easier for Golden State. MacMahon, however, questioned how much money Podziemski may want.

And Stephen Curry’s next decision could affect everything.

Golden State first needs to know what Curry wants to do.

Curry signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension in August 2024, as per an NBA report. That deal keeps him under contract through the 2026-27 season. The same NBA report cited that Curry had around $178 million guaranteed over the next three seasons.

Now, Curry has another extension decision to make.

Windhorst explained that Curry does not have to decide immediately. He can still sign an extension during the season. However, the Warriors would likely want to know his plans before the new season starts.

“And the reason I think it’s got a good chance of happening is, you know, we have talked at length about how if Steph Curry doesn’t extend, and he’s now weeks off his extension window,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast. “He could still extend like Anthony Slater was talking about this on NBA today on Friday. Just because he hasn’t doesn’t mean he won’t. He’s he can extend anywhere time during the season.”

The bigger question is what happens if Curry does not extend.

According to Windhorst, Golden State could potentially have around $100 million in cap space. That amount of money could give the Warriors a lot of freedom to change their roster.

He continued, “Typically this is something you’d want to get settled before the year starts though. And so he’s like, ‘Listen, Steph will probably make up his mind one way or another by the start of training camp.’ But if Steph does not extend, they have potentially hund00 million in cap space.”

Curry’s decision could also affect what Golden State does with Brandin Podziemski.

At first, Windhorst thought the Warriors could wait before giving Podziemski an extension. That could help them protect as much future cap space as possible.

But there is another important part of the salary cap situation.

If Podziemski becomes a restricted free agent and the Warriors keep his rights, he will still count against their salary cap. This happens because of his cap hold.

Windhorst put that figure at around $17 million.

“Pajki’s cap hold, which is what he sits on their books as, even if he hasn’t signed, as long as he is remains, as long as you retain his rights and you want to make him a restricted free agent, his cap hold is$7 million,” Windhorst explained. 

Windhorst clearly refers to a $17 million figure during the rest of the discussion. That number is important for Golden State.

For example, if the Warriors do not extend Podziemski, his roughly $17 million cap hold would still count against their cap if they keep his rights.

Now, imagine Golden State gives him an extension with a first-year salary of around $19 million or $20 million. That would only be around $2 million to $3 million more than his cap hold.

Because of this, Windhorst believes an extension around that amount may not hurt Golden State’s future plans very much.

“So, if the Warriors can sign him to a contract that’s not too far away from that 17 million in the first year, and you know, I’m I think he’s going to get maybe more than that, but you know, if they sign a contract that’s worth 19 or 20 million in the first year, for example, it doesn’t impact their books that much,” Windhorst said. 

MacMahon then asked if the possible cap-space figure already included Podziemski’s cap hold.

“Well, when you talk about the cap when you talk about the cap space they could have, that’s not factoring in his cap hold, is it?” MacMahon asked. 

Windhorst was not completely sure about that part of the calculation. But he made one thing clear that Warriors want to keep Podziemski.

Tim MacMahon Questions How Much Brandin Podziemski Wants

The bigger problem may be deciding how much Podziemski deserves.

MacMahon wondered if Podziemski’s strong confidence could affect how much money he asks for in contract talks.

“I’m curious about what Brandon Pimpsky thinks he should be paid. Because I mean this is a guy like he’s said some crazy things about like you know he thinks he can be better than Steph and like some ridiculous things that are just completely separated from reality,” MacMahon said. 

MacMahon did not say that confidence is always a bad thing for an NBA player. He explained that many players need strong belief in themselves to succeed at the highest level.

However, he said confidence and contract value are two different things.

“To succeed in the NBA, a lot of guys like a delusional sense of confidence is a requirement. I’m not holding it against him, but I’m just saying in terms of negotiations, like I don’t think you can pay a deal like Ausar Thompson just got or like Keyonte George just got,” MacMahon continued. 

The contracts of Ausar Thompson and Keyonte George give more context to this discussion.

The Detroit Pistons gave Thompson a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale extension. That deal is worth an average of $31 million per season. The Utah Jazz gave George a five-year, $157.5 million extension. His deal is worth an average of $31.5 million per season.

MacMahon’s point was that Podziemski should not get a contract in that range.

Windhorst agreed with him about Podziemski’s value.

“I don’t think he’s well close to their value. I’m saying I think if they can get him into a deal that’s within a close proximity to that 17 million. I think that’s that’s where it makes that’s where it makes sense for the Warriors.”

A deal worth around $30 million or more per season would cost Golden State much more money. But a deal that starts closer to Podziemski’s projected $17 million cap hold could be much easier for the Warriors to handle.

Brandin Podziemski is also likely to receive a big salary increase. He is still playing on his rookie-scale contract. Basketball-Reference lists his 2026-27 salary at around $5.68 million. But his performance has grown beyond that salary.

Podziemski played all 82 regular-season games in the 2025-26 season. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He also shot 45.5% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range.

Those numbers show why Golden State has reasons to keep him.

Brandin Podziemski can score without needing the ball all the time. He rebounds well for a guard and can also handle the ball. His three-point shooting helps him play next to Curry.

Windhorst also talked about these qualities while explaining why a reasonable extension could make sense.

“I would say about signing Pajki is he averaged 14 points last year, shot 46% from the field, shot 37% from three. Um, can play multiple positions, can play alongside Steph,” Windhorst on Podziemski’s performance. 

Of course, Curry remains the much bigger part of Golden State’s plans.

The Warriors built their modern success around Curry and won four NBA championships with him. His shooting forces defenses to change the way they play. He also creates space for teammates even when he does not have the ball.

That is why Podziemski’s ability to play next to Curry can be very useful for Golden State.

However, Windhorst believes the Warriors should also think about the future when they decide Podziemski’s contract.

Windhorst added, “Um but sign him to a contract that you can that you can trade if you need to in a year.”

That could be a very important part of Golden State’s decision.

The Warriors can keep a useful young player without paying him like a franchise superstar. A reasonable contract could help them keep Podziemski now while also making it easier to trade him later if they want to make a bigger move.

Golden State now has several important numbers to think about. Podziemski is making around $5.68 million this season. His future cap hold could be around $17 million. Windhorst believes a first-year salary of around $19 million or $20 million may not make a huge difference to Golden State’s cap situation.

At the same time, MacMahon does not believe Podziemski should receive the same type of contract as Thompson or George.

But Curry’s decision remains the biggest part of the situation.

If Curry does not sign another extension immediately, Golden State could keep major financial flexibility for 2027. However, that does not mean the Warriors have to let Podziemski leave just to create more cap space.

The main challenge could be finding the right contract number. Golden State wants to reward Podziemski for his growth, but the Warriors also do not want to pay him like one of the NBA’s highest-paid young players.

What do you think? Can the Warriors keep Brandin Podziemski without hurting their plans for the future? Let us know in the comments.