The Warriors could potentially land Lauri Markkanen if they were to include Brandin Podziemski in trade talks.
But by all reports, the franchise flat out refuse to include the second-year guard in any trade talks.
Apparently “Podz” has made quite an impact on the team in his short time there.
The Athletic’s Anthony Slater recently reported that the Warriors “don’t want to trade” Podziemski because he’s “beloved organizationally.”
“One of the rare aspects to him, compared to the Warriors’ other recent picks, is Steve Kerr couldn’t keep him off the floor as a rookie,” Slater said on 95.7 The Game radio.
Podziemski certainly had himself a memorable rookie year, which ended with him earning All-Rookie First Team honors.
Team owner Joe Lacob is a big fan of the young guard and thinks he’s going to be an All-Star.
“He was a revelation, to be quite honest,” Lacob said at Summer League. “We’re really excited. We think we have a future All-Star. We really do.”
Lacob added, “He started a whole bunch of games for us. Steve [Kerr] had trouble getting him off the floor; he had to have him on the floor, he was so good. He does so many things so well. He’s ultra-confident, he’s got an NBA body, he can get wherever he wants. … What can’t he do?”
Podziemski appeared in 74 games in 2023-24, including 28 starts and averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6 minutes, while shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Along with his Warriors teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis, Podziemski was named in the USA Select Team that practiced with Team USA in Las Vegas ahead of the Olympics in Paris – which begin at the end of this month.
The Santa Clara product has averaged 18.5 points through two Summer League games so far, including a 21-point, 12-rebound game on the weekend against the Bulls.