The Golden State Warriors recently locked down young guard Brandin Podziemski to a five-year, $110 million contract extension, a deal that is already starting to make waves throughout the NBA.
Podziemski is in the final year of his rookie contract, but the Warriors made a firm commitment to the 23-year-old guard to keep him around for the long term instead of potentially losing him next summer.
Regardless of whether or not Golden State intended to do so, Podziemski’s new contract extension could put other teams across the league in difficult situations, as according to a new report on rising star Anthony Black, the money the Warriors paid their young guard set the price for what the Orlando Magic might have to pay theirs.
Warriors Brandin Podziemski Contract Extension Could Force Magic To Lose Anthony Black
Writing for ESPN.com about the growing potential that the Magic could lose Black due to not having the funds to lock him down to a new contract extension, Brian Windhorst explained how Podziemski could be the main factor as to why.
“Teams are watching Magic guard Anthony Black, who is coming off a breakout year in which he averaged 15.0 points and started 40 games,” the NBA insider wrote.
“Brandin Podziemski is a comparable player to Black and his five-year, $110 million deal with the Warriors last week has framed his contract talks to a degree, especially because Podziemski and Black share an agent, Bill Duffy. The Magic, sources said, have not yet been willing to offer the same $22 million per year average that Podziemski signed.”
Regardless of how one might think about the Podziemski-Black comparison, if Orlando’s guard is set to garner a market of roughly $22 million a year, that’s not money the Magic have available. The franchise is $32 million in the luxury tax, and paying Black anywhere close to that $110 million number over five years would be nearly impossible.
The Magic have until October 19 to sign Black to a contract extension, expected to be at the level Podziemski got with the Warriors. If not, he could hit free agency next summer, as even if Orlando could lose him for nothing, Windhorst reported that a mid-season trade is unlikely.
“This has led rival teams to watch whether Orlando considers moving on from Black if they can’t come to terms on a rookie extension before the Monday deadline,” he added. “(President of basketball operations Jeff) Weltman rarely makes trades, especially during the season, and he left open the possibility of letting Black enter restricted free agency next summer.”
A Golden State Trade Idea For The Sake Of Fun
With Golden State facing some very serious concerns about the health of players like Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler, and Moses Moody, as well as some existential doom about the final few years the franchise has left with Stephen Curry, tying together the Warriors and Black could make for a fun thought experiment.
When discussing previous reports about Black’s uncertain future in Orlando, FadeawayWorld.com’s Eddit Bitar proposed a trade that would send Black out to the Bay Area.
Here’s his trade proposal, featuring a price the Warriors would likely be willing to give up if it means creating a backcourt duo of Black and Podziemski for the post-Curry era.
Golden State Warriors receive: Anthony Black
Orlando Magic receive: De’Anthony Melton, a 2033 first-round pick, a 2032 second-round pick, a 2033 second-round pick
“Black could help bridge those timelines by bringing defensive energy, size, and room for offensive growth,” Bitar wrote on the trade idea. “His ability to guard opposing perimeter players would be particularly valuable for a team that needs to make life easier for Curry. Black would not have to become a high-volume scorer immediately.”
Black has shown a ton of two-way potential in Orlando, and even though the Warriors making this deal, which would likely happen during the season, would require them to sign him to the impending contract extension, he’s a solid enough player that the front office could take a gamble on.
“The Warriors would be betting on Black’s next stage of development. If his shooting and decision-making continue to improve, he could become a valuable two-way starter down the line,” he added.
For now, the Warriors and Podziemski may have been the first domino that could cause Orlando to lose Black. This trade is just a hypothetical, but it would be funny if he landed in Golden State at the expense of the Magic.
Warriors Brandin Podziemski Could Force Rival To Lose Key Player: Report