Brandin Podziemski‘s name popped up in trade rumors throughout the summer amid speculation that he could be included in a package for a star like Paul George or Lauri Markkanen. However, the Warriors guard received separate assurances from general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob that the team had no plans to trade him, as he tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
According to Podziemski, Dunleavy delivered his message ahead of draft night.
“A lot of these other teams are calling about you,” Podziemski said Dunleavy told him. “They want you, but you’re not going anywhere. You’re ours.”
Slater hears from team sources that the Warriors received several inquiries from teams willing to make “medium- to high-value” draft pick offers for Podziemski, who made the All-Rookie first team in 2023/24. As for the Markkanen negotiations between Golden State and Utah, they reportedly never got too serious, but Podziemski was considered a top target for the Jazz if they had pursued a deal.
The 21-year-old heard from Lacob while those Markkanen rumors were swirling, as Slater relays.
[RELATED: Joe Lacob Reluctant To Trade Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski]
“He told me, ‘You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re a priority here,'” Podziemski said. “I appreciate that, being a rookie and going into my second year, hearing that from such a prestigious organization. It feels good. I’m wanted somewhere. So, I appreciate them. They could keep me in the dark until a trade is done. But Mike and Joe were transparent from the draft to the Paul George situation to the Markkanen situation.”
Here are a few more highlights from Podziemski’s conversation with The Athletic:
- Podziemski knows some fans may question why the Warriors’ front office has been so reluctant to move him if he could help them acquire an established star, but he said he won’t feel increased pressure next season to perform at a high level and justify the team’s belief in him. “I won’t go into games thinking about it,” Podziemski told Slater. “I just know what I’ve done all offseason. I know how much better of a player I’m going to be. Obviously, I have expectations for myself to perform. This is my job. But I don’t think there’s any nervousness to exceed expectations. I’m just going to be me.”
- According to Podziemski, the Warriors have told him they’d like to see him shoot more three-pointers next season after he launched 3.2 attempts per night as a rookie. “They want me to take anywhere (from) eight to 10 per game. That’s what they told me,” he said. “All different types: off dribble handoffs, off ball screens, catch-and-shoot.”
- As Slater points out, among qualified NBA players last season, only 10 averaged more than eight three-point tries per game, and just three (including Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) reached nine per game. However, Podziemski is confident he can significantly increase his volume from beyond the arc. “The reason they said that is because I’d be watching film last season after every game, and it’s always on there: Missed three-point opportunity that I didn’t take,” he explained. “There were a good two to four each game that I passed up. If you look at that, it’s a good five to seven per game I could’ve got up. Now with Klay being gone, Chris (Paul) being gone, someone is going to have to handle the ball a little bit more. I think I’m more than capable of doing that. Given that, I think it leads me to have more threes.”
- Discussing his involvement in Team USA’s pre-Olympic workouts as a member of the Select Team, Podziemski said he appreciated the opportunity to guard players like Curry and Jrue Holiday in scrimmages, since it helped prepare him for the types of defensive assignments he wants to take on next season: “With Steph out there, you’re not going to have him guard the best guard. So, it’s on me taking that challenge of what Klay used to do. It’s something I want and have that not be the reason (head coach) Steve (Kerr) doesn’t play me, because I can’t guard their best guard.”
Podz problem is he passes up too many open looks. Its like he was afraid to shoot last year when Curry and Thompson was on the court. His other problem was dribbling too much and trying to pass into a crowd under the basket. Things he will improve at m longer he is in the NBA.
arc89 , I think both your comments, one on open looks and the other on over-dribbling, are good. But more can be said.
As the article states, Podz did indeed pass up too many open looks. Along with that came by far the best +/- on the team, about 250 better than Klay Thompson (who never passed up an open look). Still, even without the benefit of wide open looks, he managed to shoot 39% from deep, after shooting 43% in college. It’s reasonable to assume he’ll shoot > 40% from deep this year.
As for dribbling too much, I know what you’re referring to. But he had a better than 3:1 assists to turnover ratio, so that doesn’t suggest he can’t be a primary ball-handler. What you’re talking about is when he sets his mind on getting to the basket. From watching him at Santa Clara, I believe that Podz has a knack for drawing contact and often holds the ball until it happens, a la James Harden. As you say, experience should help with that.
knowing where his team mates are on the court when he gets double teamed or terminates his dribble is the experience i am talking about. This was the first year with new players. It takes time for team chemistry to happen. Many people forget how young he was last year. he started last year at 20 years of age. Not many players that young get minutes with a older playoff contending team.
Again, having Podz, Steph and Draymond out there at the same time is a disaster waiting to happen. You can’t have 3 guys thinking they are the primary ball handler. This is why you need at least 3 role players on the court at the same time.
Podz would be a fine fit on this team if he never saw court time with Steph and Dray and played as the strict PG backup, but they don’t want him in that role, instead they want him to be Lebron James for some idiotic reason. He has no elite skills. What are we doing here?
Curry is always moving without the ball so i wouldn’t call him the ball handler since once across mid court he is passing it away. Green is a passer not ball handler.
That’s patently untrue. You are just arguing to argue at this point. Curry has zero assists and isnt a HOF-passer? Wrong.
TJD-Kuminga-Green-Moody-Curry will cook most of the league and that’s the lineup that will take Kerr forever to play, but they will beat everyone when he finally sees it. Watch.
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knowing where his teammates are when he gets double-teamed or terminates his dribble is the experience i am talking about
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You nailed it.
I think he’s a good play maker but I can see where you want improvements with his decision making and efficiency. Given his role and teammates I think you’re asking a lot from a rookie. Being that team will need him to assume a more attacking style, I think he’ll shown signs and improve. I love how he plays and I understand why he deferred, but he’ll be more deliberate and efficient
Getting ready for the “experts” on this site to extend explain to us why the NBA teams seeking to acquire Podz aren’t as smart as they are.
the warrior haters will. They claim any warriors is terrible until they are traded to their team then its super star power.
The only person on this site who doesn’t think Podski is good is a Warriors fan, lmao.
I think he is good, I just don’t think he is a fit on a team with Curry at PG. Podz is a good PG and a terrible SG. He isn’t a fit here (see post below):
you spoke his name and he showed up.
As if I wouldn’t post in this thread, haha
I mean he’s nice. He has the potential to maybe become something really good. He needs to add movement 3s add more volume while maintaining the efficiency and improve on defense outside of the charge taking.
Of course the real value of Podz is that he makes in the neighborhood of 11M over the next 3 years and he’s already a solid role player.
I think in the Warriors ideal world Kuminga solidifies the starting spot and its him Curry and Draymond for sure. Wiggins either returning to form with a healthy off season, since he was injured at the end of the playoffs with the same injury Loon got before his year from hell, or getting traded since his contract is matching for a number of possible trades. That leaves a spot for Podz/TJD/Melton/Loon/Post depending on if your going Green at the 5 or not that gets mixed and matched. I think Podz gets more min with the second unit in a CP replacement role. I could see a second unit of Podz/Heild/Wiggins/Anderson/and a big or a scorer.
Vacuum, Do you think the Warriors tell Podz they want him to take 10 threes a game if they don’t plan to start him? Listen to Lakob, Kerr, and Dunleavy talk about Podz this summer if you think otherwise.
The writing is on the wall: Podz will be featured offensively more than any other player than Steph.
Podz averaged 28 mpg last year, and started the last 35 games. From the month of January onward, he averaged more minutes per game than any other player on the team. We have the same coach; Klay Thompson is gone; and, the Dubs passed on Markkanen and George rather than give up Podz.
Right or wrong, they’re all in on Podz.
It’s just so nonsensical, Podz has no big “oh wow” game to point to, GSW didn’t make the playoffs with him getting top 5 MPG, he is OVERRATED. I know he is a rookie who can improve, but he also isn’t a SG, he is a PG. He should NEVER see court time with Curry, and that’s what these boneheads are asking him to do? Pass up an open Curry so Podz can brick 3s? Horrible idea. I just don’t understand, Podz is not a fit on GSW and hopefully they will underperform early next year and finally see it and trade Podz so they can play Moody at the SG, as Moody has lockdown D and high scoring games to his name already.
I really just do not get the Podz love, it makes no sense to me – is it a skin color thing? White fans extra-love the white players? I have run out of ideas on why everyone loves him so much it has to be something that doesn’t apply to me. He literally looks like he could be Kerr’s son. Kerr gave him more minutes than anyone, as a rookie, meanwhile every other rookie in Kerr’s history only gets sporadic playing time? Including the far superior Kuminga? I hate to bring this up but I just am at a complete loss at their idea of what kind of player Podz is. Being a 10-5-5 a game guy isn’t being “Him”, and it especially isn’t a guy a team with Steph Curry needs to have, especially with Podz overconfidence he has where he controls the offense and we lose because he gets dominated on defense. I watched like 70 of the Warriors games last year and Podz wasn’t ever “player of the game” he never did anything to blow our minds, so why overrate him so hard?
GSW needs another superstar, and Podz gotta go ahead of Kuminga, Moody and TJD, who all have very clear spots on this team. Its nonsense to not sell high off an all-rookie selection (which is just him being counting stat champ, due to massive court time in losses).
I just want GSW to win and Podz does not help GSW do this. Proof: last year. I hope he proves me wrong but I just haven’t seen anything elite out of him that would warrant this overvaluing of him.
Podz is a multi tool guy that is young and will get even better. Think of a young Caruso who has a act for being at the right place at the right time. Why can’t you love a player that gives you 110% every time on the court?
All players give 110% every time they are out there, these are professionals making millions. All I care about is winning with Steph. “Being at the right place at the right time”? What do you mean by that? We didn’t make the playoffs last year with him stealing all of Moody’s court time. These aren’t valid points.
Caruso is an outstanding perimeter defender, off that alone he is no comp for Podz, he’s way better than he is (and GSW has tried to acquire Caruso before).
@aristotle
You never refuted any of my points and you never even provided any links or games where Podz was the best player on the court.
This isn’t “Qanon stuff” these are legit questions that I asked and you cant answer, because you know I am right. I watched all these games and didn’t see anything other than non-playoffs. Are you even a Warriors fan? Or just a troll?
Don’t @ me if you muted me, btw.
Davey J , I did carefully read your post, especially with an eye toward the article on Podziemski, above, which birthed this thread… but I see only the same comments you’ve made countless times before.
I liken your posts to QAnon because of, variously, the inappropriate insinuation of racism and your habit of endlessly repeating untruths as if they were fact (i.e, of Podziemski “being counting stat champ, due to massive court time in losses”, a provably inaccurate statement, as has been explained to you in the past).
@aristotle
So you still aren’t answering anything I asked. Great. Your replies carry no weight with me. You are trolling plain and simple.
Davey J , the responses to you by the other posters on this thread are completely consistent with mine.
I guess everyone is a troll but you.
No they don’t. How do you forget Oubre and even Wiggins at times not giving his all.
How do you even determine if a player is or isn’t giving his all? Exactly. This isn’t a real metric. So if a guy slightly twists his ankle and is late to the play up the court, that counts as “not giving all” to you? Nah, lets use real world metrics not made up vibes ones.
arc89 , I like the Caruso comparison. Others are Derek White and the Villanova guys (Hart, DeVincenzo, and Brunson), and Jalen Suggs.
Notice how all these players seem to get better season upon season? It’s the combination of toughness and high IQ that feeds winning plays.
Davey ,
Save your keystrokes, man, this deal is done. Podz has been told to take 10 threes per game, so you can be sure they plan to start him. The Dubs owner says he’s a future All-Star and the coach of the US Select Team, as well as Steve Kerr, said Podz was that team’s best performer.
Time to get on the Podz train or stop with the QAnon stuff.
It’s strange to read that the Dubs wanted him to take more 3’s. He was a 19 years old at the start of last season, playing alongside Steph, Klay and CP3, and for Steve Kerr. If he misses a few easy ones, he gets to talk to Usman Garuba and Moses Moody for the rest of the game.
What is Davey J’s issue? He thinks he knows more about “ball” than NBA Coaches, Scouts and GMs. Nobody has been asking about Moses Moody. They see Podz talent. He will only get better. They will find a fit for him. Kerr knows a bit more about “ball” than you do. Just accept reality.
His issue is that he is a troll and says controversial things to rile people up. Notice how every time he gets challenged to back up his claims it’s crickets? He is the HR equivalent of fox news. Just tune it out.
I don’t have a problem with someone thinking they may know more than people in positions of power in certain cases, particularly when they would have persuasive arguments, contextualized stats, possess an unbiased nature (or ability to acknowledge one’s own biases), and/or possess the humility to understand there is only so much we are privy to as outside observers.
…the problem is none of the above applies to him. At all. Lol.
So now Davey J is accusing Kerr of racism? Kerr had no problem playing Kuminga or TJD. He had no problem bringing in a special coach for Wiseman. They don’t look anything like Kerr’s son.
Don’t take the bait dude
Now that is funny since you and Erik troll all of my comments.
Disagreeing and trolling are not the same
It’s even weirder how instead of listening to me and learning from me, plenty of you chose to ridiculously act like I am someone else when my opinions aren’t even new or original, they exist on thousands of posts on IG and X. It’s just common sense, if you view basketball the right way.
The even weirder part is that I don’t even think Podz is a bad player, he just isnt a fit on this team. If you remove Steph and Dray and make Podz the PG who runs the show, I wouldn’t be saying anything other than “I hope we can squeeze into the playoffs but Im not sure how” instead we have the potential, due 100% to Steph, Dray and Kuminga, to be a top 4 team in the West again, but it all hinges in using the roster correctly – playing 3 “PG”s at once is never going to give you success, you need perimeter defense, you need guys for spacing and blocking, Podz is too small and too much of a traditional PG to be valued THIS highly!
Still no good arguments against this, other than “he’s a rookie who can and likely will improve”. Waiting on those moments you can point to and go “right there, that’s elite” because he doesn’t have any. Moses Moody has high scoring and elite D games already I can point to. Podz has nothing of the sort. We starting playing really well last season when Moody got that late season bump. Proving Moody should be the SG, not Podz.
I love when you all disagree although it’s often one against everyone else. The best part is that the comparisons aren’t using the same metrics. Many coaches really dislike turnovers, so you could use that metric. Many love rebounds. With arguably the best shooter in the NBA, it’d make sense to optimize opportunities – low turnovers and high rebounds.
The hive mind on here gotta go for sure, especially when it just turns to people having no logical argument so they turn to personal attacks and gang ups which breaks TOS.
I have never once posted on this site before, but I like its aggregator-style of NBA news so I will stick around and probably still get called out for being other people I am not, because doing that changes the topic and allows them to duck my argument, to which they have no counter for.
More Davey greatest hits…
> Davey J said:
> It’s even weirder how instead of listening to me
> and learning from me…
Classic!
Davey J said:
> I have never once posted on this site before.
Are you blocking yourself?
Podz seems solid, but he was clearly off the table. Kuminga might have been, but he might be a head case? Warriors fans complain about him.
I’m just glad the Jazz didn’t make a trade with the Warriors right now. Markkanen is much better than any player/pick combo they were otherwise offering.
Benboy , if Utah is planning on tanking for the next few year, isn’t it better to exchange current assets for future assets?
How is paying $50M for a star, who will bring wins, consistent with the goal of tanking?
Or is the goal to remain out of the playoffs for another 5 years?
Aristotle, one does not tank without a pebble in the barrel. Lol jk
If you look at Markkanen’s contract then you get an idea of the Jazz’s plan. They are going to tank for 1-2 years. Then his contract goes down that 3rd year onward, when all their other large contracts expire. This is when they’ll make their real big moves.
This Summer was another half effort. Just like the last two seasons. This year, and possibly next, will be their first real attempt to tank.
Securing Markkanen keeps him happy during this time. He’s already been posting all over Twitter about how beautiful and awesome Utah is. He’s out there hiking, fishing, and exploring all that natural beauty. He genuinely sounds content. I’m happy for him.
The only real question will be if they tank again next year. That third year I expect they’ll start bringing in quality vets again.
benboy , realistically, the Jazz will have to tank at least 2 more years, based on where they are now.
Outside of Markkanen, the Gobert and Mitchell trades have brought little of future value to date. When you trade superstars, you must get some real young talent back immediately (e.g., SGA for Paul George). Also, Utah hasn’t had the benefit of high lottery picks, as with OKC, Orlando, and Houston. After 2 years of tanking, those teams were loaded with young talent. Utah’s current group doesn’t compare with those. The future firsts the Jazz hold from Minnesota and Cleveland project to be in 24-30 range, which rarely yield stars. And we know that Utah will never be a preferred destination for free agent talent.
Utah has to land 2-3 high lottery picks to turn their franchise around. Playing Collins, Sexton, and Markkanen will prevent that from happening.
Yep, that’s what most Jazz fans agree they need to do, for at least this year. Next year more might get stir crazy.
Some are still stubbornly holding on to hope they’ll be good this year. I think they must attach their egos to how well the Jazz do or something cuz it makes no sense to try win games now.
And yes, I agree with tanking at least this year and next. That third year might be a big trade year for those expiring contracts.
Although, I might lean towards tanking that third year as well. I just know a lot of Jazz fans will be going crazy by then. Haha