SAN FRANCISCO – It's been a career year for Gui Santos, and the Golden State Warriors have rewarded him in that way.
According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, Santos and the Warriors agreed to a contract extension, the team announced Saturday morning — a three-year, $15 million deal with a player option for 2028-29. Santos was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, but the Warriors signed him to a deal that will benefit both parties.
With Golden State troubled by injuries and absences this season, Santos emerged as a key rotational component in Steve Kerr's system. A 2022 second-round draft pick out of Brazil, the third-year forward has transitioned from the Warriors' G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz to now being a guy Kerr and the Dubs rely on in tightly contested games.
Since Kerr joined Santos as a starter about a month ago Averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 28.8 minutes in 12 games.
In that span, Santos has come up with two game-winning buckets – a fastbreak layup to take the lead against the Phoenix Suns and a chaotic layup in traffic at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.
"He's taken another step forward this year, Gui," Kerr told reporters after a win in Memphis earlier this week. "Last year, he was a very important role player for us. Number one on the team in plus-minus and then [Jimmy Butler] Business, he really strengthened that role. But now, he has become more active as a creator [and] A post-up boy. The step-by-step moves you saw were incredible.
"He has the ability to play point guard when the other team is putting pressure on us. He's a really versatile player and someone we really value."
Santos' journey to the NBA
For Santos, the journey to this point in his career has required patience. After the team's practice Thursday afternoon, Santos reflected on what he needs to do to become a guy capable of staying in the NBA.
“I think the key word for this is patience,” Santos said.
"Patience, because when I got here, I was a point guard playing in Brazil. I was playing as a point guard, with the ball in my hands, and I spent the whole year in the G-League just learning how to fit into the system here, because my goal was always to play in the NBA, play for the Warriors. And I asked [Kerr]What am I supposed to do? And he was like, okay, I'll show you the way, like, you have to work hard on defense. You have to crash the boards all the time, and you just have to find Steph.
It's safe to say that Santos did all of those things, which is why Kerr felt comfortable increasing his minutes this season after not seeing much action the past two seasons.
But ultimately, what stands out about Santos is his relentless positivity and upbeat personality. You'll rarely find Santos without a big smile on his face, whether he's on the podium, at practice, or talking with teammates. That's why even now, he's grateful for the opportunity and support given to him by the Warriors.
"The coaches here, the staff and the organization, they've always been good to me," Santos said. "They always help me with anything I need, and because of what's happened right now they're giving me a chance to show a little more."
Gui Santos reflected on his journey up to this point, now a key figure for the Dubs:
"The key word for it is patience. Because when I came here, I was a point guard playing in Brazil... and I spent the whole year in the G-League just learning how to fit into the system here." pic.twitter.com/Q2tyVmjhEQ
- Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) 27 February 2026
