Warriors' Brandin Podziemski dishes on past Paul George, Lauri Markkanen trade rumors
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Brandin Podziemski has been a staple of trade rumors over the last calendar year. With the Golden State Warriors attempting to extend their championship window with Stephen Curry, the 2023 first-round pick is a logical candidate to be included in a package for a marquee name.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was active in trade negotiations this offseason, pursuing star trades with the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen. However, he was reportedly unwilling to include Podziemski in a deal. The 21-year-old guard recently spoke about the organization’s trust in him.
“You feel the respect and love from Mike Dunleavy, [owner] Joe Lacob and our front office team of how much they value me after just seeing one year of what I can do,” Podziemski told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective. “It's not like you're just being traded for another role player; it's All-Stars you're talking about. So seeing that was like, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ But also seeing your value across the league of teams wanting you to trade for their All-Star. They don't want just nothing in return, they want something. So to see the Clippers and the Jazz want me in return, it shows not only Golden State's value of me but also teams around the league.”
Golden State’s decision to keep its young core intact is showing promising returns early this season.
Brandin Podziemski and Warriors showing promise during hot start
The Warriors have posted a 10-2 record, the second-best in the NBA behind the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. Steve Kerr’s squad ranks fourth in both offense and defense through 12 games.
Podziemski’s stats are down compared to his rookie year. The shooting guard has averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from the field and 20.0 percent from three. However, he’s made an impact using his basketball IQ and scheme versatility on both ends of the floor.
The Santa Clara product is expected to step into an expanded role after Klay Thompson’s departure. He admitted he feels heightened expectations after Golden State refused to trade him for a star.
“It was hard for me to process it mentally because with anything in life, any industry, any business, with success comes expectation,” he said. “Just knowing the situation with Klay and Chris, not knowing if they're going to be back, but most likely probably not going to be back, you see a window of opportunity for yourself. So I kind of just looked at it that way, obviously everybody's hyping you up but at the same time tearing you down. Why didn't we trade him, we should've traded him for X,Y,Z.”
The Warriors revamped their roster this offseason, moving on from Thompson and adding De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson as depth around Curry. Their early success has raised questions about their ability to contend for another title. Podziemski will continue to play a key role in Golden State in the short and long term.
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