Warriors officially sign first-round pick Brandin Podziemski to four-year deal

The Golden State Warriors announced earlier this week that they had officially signed guard Brandin Podziemski to a rookie-scale contract. Podziemski was drafted by the Warriors with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Santa Clara and presumably received the standardize contract for a rookie first-round pick. Assuming Podziemski’s contract follows that scale, his deal could pay him just over $16.2 million over the next four seasons. However, only the first two years in the deal are guaranteed.

Podziemski averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game this season at Santa Clara University while showing off one of the best shooting strokes in the nation. Podziemski made 43.8% of his three-point attempts in his final collegiate season and most evaluators expect that skill to carry over to the NBA.

The biggest question facing Podziemski’s future is his below-average size, length, and athleticism by NBA standards. While all three of those limitations will obviously pose challenges for him on the defensive end, it could also prevent him from creating enough space to capitalize on his elite shooting ability.

Podziemski has shown a great feel for the game and solid ball-handling, leading some to hope he can handle point guard duties, something that would make it easier to build lineups around his lack of size. However, that seems to be a lofty expectation.

For now, he will likely look to refine his ability to create space running off of screens and contribute as a catch-and-shoot scorer in the Warriors offense. With elite floor spaces like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson already on the team, it’s easy to see why general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is confident Podziemski can find a role in Golden State.