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NBA NBA Season Latest Gui Santos is averaging a career-high 6. 6 points, 3. 2 rebounds and 1. 7 assists this season. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors have signed Gui Santos to a three-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday. ESPN first reported the deal was for three years and a total of $15 million. A team source confirmed that the final year is a player option for Santos. The new deal is a success story for both player and team given that Santos was the 55th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Santos has started to come into his own this season, having scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 6. 6 points, 3. 2 rebounds and 1. 7 assists while shooting 53. 1 percent from the field this season. Advertisement Warriors coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly praised Santos for his ability to stay ready no matter the circumstances, and the Brazilian forward has fit in well in the locker room with his positive personality and outlook. Santos gave a well-thought-out answer after Friday’s practice while describing how he got his career to this point. “I think the key word for that is patience, ” Santos said. “Because when I got here, I was a point guard. Playing back in Brazil was like playing as a point guard, having the ball in my hand. Then I spent the whole year in the G League just learning how to fit in the system here. Because my goal always was playing in the NBA, playing for the Warriors. And I asked them what I got to do to do that, and they said, ‘We’re gonna give you the way. You got to play hard on defense, you got to be crashing the boards all the time, and you just got to find Steph — it’s easy. ’ “So I said, ‘All right, I’m doing that. ’ I was just working at that in my first couple years. ” Santos is pleased with how he has handled the adjustments to his game. “I think this last season has been the best of myself, ” he said. “It’s kind of like what I was doing before I got here because I had to change my game a little bit to fit in the system, and I think that’s what a lot of players struggle with because it’s hard, it’s not easy. I’ve been a point guard my whole life, now I’m gonna be a four, sometimes I was playing five in the G League. “And I just keep going, keep going — the coaches, the staff, the organization, they’re always nice with me. They always helped me with everything that I need. Right now, they’re giving me the option to show a little bit more. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Nick Friedell is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering the Golden State Warriors and the NBA. Nick spent 14 years at ESPN covering the NBA, most notably as a reporter as well as a TV and radio commentator. He is a graduate of The Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Follow Nick on X @Nick Friedell.