Photo: Peter Baba

The Golden State Warriors and Brandin Podziemski remain engaged in contract extension talks, with both sides expressing optimism about reaching an agreement before the October 19 deadline.

Anthony Slater reported that negotiations are ongoing, with the Warriors also weighing the importance of preserving future salary-cap flexibility.

“They’re both sides are expressing optimism. They’re still talking. October 19th is obviously the deadline,” Slater said on The Hoop Collective podcast, via HoopsHype.

A key factor in the negotiations is Podziemski’s projected cap hold for the 2027 offseason.

“I wish I had the exact number up, the cap hold is important here,” Slater said. “His cap hold next year is roughly $17.5 million.”

Slater noted that Golden State’s approach to future flexibility could influence the structure and size of any extension.

“As protective and down to the dollar as we’ve seen the Warriors are about their future flexibility, I don’t imagine they’re going to want on an extension with Podziemski to go too much beyond that cap hold,” Slater said.

Podziemski, 23, is entering the final season of his four-year, $16 million rookie-scale contract. The Warriors selected him with the 19th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he has steadily increased his role during his first three seasons.

The guard appeared in all 82 games during the 2025-26 season, starting 43 of them. He averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 28.5 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range.

Podziemski also averaged 1.1 steals per game and became an important part of a Warriors rotation that featured Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Draymond Green.

Across his first three seasons, Podziemski has appeared in 220 games, including 104 starts, while averaging 11.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He has shot 37.5% from three-point range during that span.

Golden State has made several significant financial commitments around its veteran core this offseason. Curry signed a two-year, $116 million extension on September 25, while Porzingis received a two-year, $40 million extension and Green re-signed on a one-year, $27.68 million contract.

The Warriors are also operating with extremely limited financial flexibility. Golden State is approximately $348,000 below the second-apron hard cap.

That makes Podziemski’s extension particularly relevant to the Warriors’ longer-term roster planning. With the October 19 deadline approaching, both sides remain in discussions about a deal that would keep the young guard in Golden State while accounting for the team’s future financial flexibility.