Brandin Podziemski

California Notes: Curry, Warriors, Kings, Vanderbilt

January 7th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Warriors continue trying to thread the needle between building toward a future without aging All-Star guard Stephen Curry and looking to win while he’s still performing at a high level. Curry, who turns 37 in March, is aware that his time as an All-NBA talent could be fairly finite, notes Tim Keown of ESPN.

“I want to do this for as long as I can,” Curry said. “But the clock’s ticking. We all know that.”

Keown notes that Golden State’s success very much hinges on Curry being able to knock down jumpers. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is conserving Curry’s minutes with an eye towards keeping him healthy late into the year, even though he’s aware it could ironically cost the team a shot at the postseason.

At 18-17, the No. 8-seeded Warriors are currently just one game clear of the No. 11 Kings and two ahead of the No. 12 Suns.

“For me, it’s more like this: We want to put ourselves in position to give him a chance in the playoffs,” Kerr said. “We did that when we won the title in ’22; we caught lightning in a bottle and the matchups worked our way and Steph does what Steph does. We want to give him that chance again. We want that at-bat.”

There’s more out of California:

Steve Kerr said on Tuesday that injured Warriors guards Brandin Podziemski and Gary Payton II are traveling with Golden State on its current four-game road trip, with an eye towards returning to action at some point during the trip, reports Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Kings rallied on Monday from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit without All-Star De’Aaron Fox to pick up their fifth straight win, and are now 5-1 under interim head coach Doug Christie, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I just kept telling them to believe,” Christie said. “You can do this. You’ve got to believe you can do it. You need to get stops. You need to fly around. You need to have each other’s back.”
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt continues to inch closer to making his 2024/25 season debut. Head coach JJ Redick has revealed that the 6’8″ vet played 5-on-5 against the team’s coaches in a workout, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Redick added that Los Angeles wants Vanderbilt to participate in 5-of-5 scrimmages against players, either with the NBA team or the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Vanderbilt will be playing on a minutes restriction to start his season, according toMcMenamin (Twitter links), who adds that the Lakers will reassess Vanderbilt in a week.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, Lakers, Beal

December 31st, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems ready to abandon the 11- and 12-man rotations he was using early in the season, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Although Golden State had success with that approach while Kerr experimented to see how his new players fit together, he wants a consistent group on the court as the schedule becomes more challenging.

“Given the stretch we’re in … we’ve got to settle in these next couple weeks,” he said before Monday’s game. “Stick with the same lineup. Same rotation off the bench if possible and see if we can find some rhythm.”

He unveiled the new approach on Saturday, using Dennis Schröder, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as his closing lineup and giving them all at least 34 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski made up the rest of the rotation. Jackson-Davis got the start at center and was used for some defensive possessions late in the game.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors need to lean heavily on Kuminga and the rest of the young core to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, contends Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. That’s especially true of Kuminga, who has the best chance of any of Golden State’s young players to become a star. Kroichick notes that Kuminga has displayed more assertiveness recently, compiling 40 free throws and 29 rebounds over his last three games. “This is a young man’s game, we know that,” Kerr said. “It’s a sport that requires so much endurance, physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains, and it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. If you don’t have a young core, you’re in some trouble. I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have.”
The Lakers suddenly have much more frontcourt depth as Dorian Finney-Smith arrived in a trade with Brooklyn and Jaxson Hayes was cleared to return from an ankle injury, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach J.J. Redick frequently relied on small-ball lineups, as the team has been without a legitimate backup center since Hayes got hurt. “Night to night, it will be different,” Redick told reporters before tonight’s game. “Jaxson is our backup five. But there may be times that we play small. It’s just the reality. (Finney-Smith) has shown he can guard up. Rui (Hachimura) has really improved from where we were three months ago, playing him at the five in our first preseason game to where he is now. … And we know Doe (Finney-Smith) can obviously play at the five as well. So excited to have options for sure.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had to leave tonight’s game after suffering a hip contusion in the first quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team announced that he wouldn’t return, but no other details were provided.

Pacific Notes: Christie, Finney-Smith, Podziemski, Warriors

December 31st, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Kings interim head coach Doug Christie picked up his first win on Monday, as Sacramento took advantage of a Dallas team missing its top two scorers and snapped a six-game losing streak, registering its first home win since December 8. Christie has been an assistant coach in Sacramento since 2021, so his players were happy to see him get his first official victory as a head coach, writes Eric He of The Associated Press.

“We’ve spent three summers now with him,” Sabonis said. “He works his butt off and just to see him installing what he believes in the guys, and the guys reacting that quickly to it is awesome.”

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee details, Christie got emotional ahead of the game when asked by CBS Sacramento’s Jake Gadon what he wanted to say to Kings fans as the team attempts to turn its season around.

“I love you, first, because this is an incredible fan base, but I would say more than anything, know that we are here to put a product out on the floor that makes you proud,” Christie responded. “… I think everyone understands who I am and what I’m trying to do, so I don’t need to reiterate that, but first and foremost, there’s steps to that process, and the first step is that when they walk in the doors and they leave the doors, they know that team played their f—ing a– off.”

Given that multiple reports in the wake of Mike Brown‘s dismissal indicated that Kings players had grown weary of the coach’s public criticism of the team, one post-game remark Christie made while discussing the team’s need to perform better in “clutch” situations was especially noteworthy.

“When it comes to that point, what are you willing to do?” Christie said, according to He. “I know what I’m willing to do for you, and I’m going to support them in any way I can. Because it’ll always be my fault. It’ll never be their fault. They go do their job. I’m here to take the bullets.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Lakers newcomers Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton have been given the go-ahead to debut for their new team on Tuesday vs. Cleveland, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the physicals for the four players involved in this week’s Lakers/Cavaliers swap are complete. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays, Finney-Smith said on Tuesday that he knew the odds were “high” that he’d be traded the season and added that he’s excited to play for the “big bros” in Los Angeles after being the “little brother” to the Knicks in Brooklyn.
The MRI on Brandin Podziemski‘s abdominal strain came back clean, according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Kerr told reporters – including Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link) – that the guard is considered day-to-day after getting injured on Saturday and sitting out Monday’s game.
With their loss to Cleveland on Monday, the Warriors have now dropped 13 of 17 games and are back to .500 after starting the season 12-3. Star guard Stephen Curry referred to the team as “very average” at the moment, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes, noting that several of Golden State’s offensive weapons – including Buddy Hield and Dennis Schröder – are going through shooting slumps at the same time. During the Warriors’ 12-3 start, they had the NBA’s sixth-best offensive rating (115.7); in their past 17 games, that number has plummeted to 106.1, ahead of only Charlotte and Washington.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Gillespie, Suns, Lakers

December 24th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Prior to Monday’s game against Indiana, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent shot selection and decision-making had been “poor” and that he had spoken to both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski about making better decisions, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays.

Kuminga responded with one of his best games of the season off the bench. In just under 30 minutes of action, he racked up 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while only turning the ball over once.

“This is the JK we want,” Kerr said after the game, per Youngmisuk. “Spent a lot of time in the paint, took care of the ball. Had a couple really nice passes. Found Buddy (Hield) for three on a beautiful play and really attacked. So this is a great example of how JK needs to play. I’m really proud of him for coming out, playing that way. … He’s getting better, and it’s fun to watch his development.”

Kuminga started six straight games earlier this month, but has come off the bench for the past three. Kerr has suggested the change isn’t necessarily permanent, but noted last week that the club sets a better defensive tone with Draymond Green starting alongside a center. Kuminga, whose role has fluctuated frequently since he entered the league in 2021, said he’s gotten used to the unpredictability and isn’t letting it faze him.

“From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough,” Kuminga said. “A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, (they) keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”

We have more from around the Pacific:

Suns two-way guard Collin Gillespie, who was diagnosed last month with a right ankle fracture, is hoping he’ll be able to return to action shortly after the G League’s regular season begins next week, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I haven’t really talked to the coaches about it, but I’m sure that’ll be the plan of making sure I check off all the boxes here, individual workouts,” Gillespie said. “Play 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and just build it up until I’m ready to go 5-on-5. Then I’m sure once they get back from break (between the Winter Showcase and regular season), they’ll have some home games that I’ll be able to play. Hopefully get some reps there.” The Valley Suns, Phoenix’s NBAGL affiliate, will play their first regular season game next Monday.
A year ago at this time, the Suns had a 14-14 record. This year, despite an 8-1 start, they’re 14-14 again. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports explores why the team is being plagued by the same issues as last season and considers whether those issues are fixable.
The Lakers‘ offense ranks 29th in the NBA over the past four weeks and head coach J.J. Redick believes the team’s shot selection is a big part of the reason why, as Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group writes. “Over the last 13 (games), we’re taking five more non-paint twos – we’re shooting 39% on those,” Redick said. “… Those five extra non-paint twos, if we shot them at the same rate as Phoenix – who shoots 49% on non-paint twos – our offense would go from 29th to 27th. … If we took those five middies and we shot league average on threes, our offense would go from 27th to 12th. In some ways, we need to shoot more threes and we need to make more threes. That doesn’t mean we come down and just, no pass, one dribble shot. We’ve got to generate the right ones and we’ve got to do it with the right process.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Green, Schröder, Podziemski

December 20th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors‘ worst loss of the season featured a historically bad performance from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. As Golden State fell to Memphis by 51 points Thursday night, Curry and Green were both scoreless from the field in the same game for the first time in their long careers as teammates. Curry was 0-of-7 while missing all six of his three-point attempts, while Green misfired on all four of his shots.

“First time for everything, right?” Curry said. “I never thought that would be a situation or a result of the game. From the very jump, they kind of punched us in the mouth. We didn’t have an answer. … That was kind of embarrassing.”

Coach Steve Kerr expressed the same sentiment after a night where nothing went right for the Warriors. Golden State trailed by 31 points at halftime and 46 when Kerr removed his starters for good midway through the third quarter. They allowed Memphis to set a franchise record by making 27 three-pointers and have now lost nine of their last 11 games after starting the season 12-3.

“You lose by 51. That’s humbling,” Kerr said. “So what I know about this team, this is the second time we’ve been blown out. We got blown out in Cleveland early in the season, so I know who we are. I know what our team is about. I know we’ve got competitors. I know we’re going to bounce back and we’re going to regroup, so I’m not concerned about that. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to execute.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

There were some spacing issues with the offense as Dennis Schröder played his first game since being acquired from Brooklyn, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Schröder, who was in the starting lineup as Kerr moved Jonathan Kuminga back to the bench, contributed five points and five assists in 22 minutes while shooting 2-of-12 from the floor. “It’s challenging (acclimating to Golden State) and I love that,” he said. “Coming to a new organization with great players, I want to see what they do first. Of course, I’ve got to play my game. But I still like to feel comfortable but it’s going to take a little bit of time.”
Brandin Podziemski should benefit from the Schröder acquisition because his ball-handling duties will be reduced, Gordon adds in a separate story. Gordon notes that Podziemski’s numbers have declined from last season when he had more freedom to get open for shots. “He’s best when he’s on the weak side,” Kerr said, so that when “somebody else creates, the ball starts to move, now he’s cutting, putting it on the floor and making a play for somebody else. I think we’ll see more of that now that Dennis is here.”
Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle contends that the Warriors were wise to trade for Schröder rather than continuing their fantasies about LeBron James or pursuing a more expensive option like Jimmy Butler.

Warriors Notes: Schröder, Trade Talks, Kerr, Green, Curry, Wiggins

December 14th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors expect their trade with the Nets to be finalized in time for Dennis Schröder to begin practicing with the team early next week and make his debut Thursday night in Memphis, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The deal will reportedly send Schröder and a second-round draft pick to Golden State in exchange for the expiring contract of De’Anthony Melton, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, along with two-way player Reece Beekman and three second-round selections. It can’t be completed until Sunday when Melton becomes trade-eligible.

The two teams have been in sporadic trade talks for weeks, Slater adds. He confirms reports that the discussions at one point included a larger deal involving Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, but those negotiations fell apart. He hears that Golden State preferred a simple trade for Schröder, giving them much-needed scoring help without sacrificing any of their young talent. Schröder was the only player who had been discussed in the last few days, Slater adds.

Schröder, 31, is a veteran guard who brings plenty of playoff and international experience. He will run the offense whenever Stephen Curry is resting, but the Warriors also envision having them on the court together, according to Slater. Coach Steve Kerr has been running 11- and 12-man rotations for much of the season, but Slater points out that Schröder’s arrival is likely to mean reduced roles for Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and others.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Kerr, Curry and Draymond Green were all advocates for acquiring Schröder because they’ve faced his German team so often in international competitions, states Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link). The trade won’t prevent the Warriors from “big-game hunting,” according to Charania, who adds that the team remains “active in the hunt for a star player.” He also points out that Golden State can aggregate Schröder’s contract in another deal before the February 6 deadline if necessary. The Warriors have been prominently mentioned in Jimmy Butler trade rumors, but other desirable targets could become available.
The Warriors weren’t happy about being knocked out of the NBA Cup with a controversial loss Wednesday at Houston, but it did give them a break in the schedule, notes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. They’ll have three days off following Sunday’s game against Dallas, which gives them the rare chance to concentrate on practice and film sessions. “I think it’s really beneficial for us to get some more practice time. During the NBA season it’s really hard to get really good practices in,” Kevon Looney said. “We get to work on all the execution things. The small things that we keep talking about on film. We can actually go out on the practice court and work on the kinks.”
Curry and Andrew Wiggins are both listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest, Slater tweets. Curry is experiencing inflammation in his neck area, and Wiggins is dealing with adductor tightness.

Warriors Notes: Kerr, Green, Podziemski, Waters, Rotation

December 4th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr screamed at the officiating crew before leaving the court after the team’s 119-115 loss in Denver on Tuesday night, explaining in his post-game media session that he believed the referees failed to notice Nuggets guard Christian Braun calling for a timeout in the game’s final seconds with his team out of timeouts (Twitter video link).

“Braun called a timeout,” Kerr said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That’s a technical foul. They don’t have a timeout left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game. (The referees) all told me they didn’t see it. … It’s up to the referees to see (it). That’s why we have three of them. Somebody’s got to see it. So yeah, that made me mad.”

Crew chief Tyler Ford told a pool reporter after the game that Braun “never fully or clearly” signaled for a timeout, a ruling Braun agreed with.

“No,” Braun said when asked if he had called timeout. “It might’ve looked like it maybe. I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved, but the refs didn’t call it.”

It was a frustrating finish for the Warriors, who were up by 11 points with just over six minutes left and still held a six-point lead with two-and-a-half minutes to play. While Kerr strongly disagreed with the officials’ decision on the Braun play in the final seconds, he acknowledged that it shouldn’t have gotten to that point.

“That’s not why we lost,” Kerr said. “We lost because we didn’t close. Again. This is like the fifth game in a row where we’ve — maybe not all five (losses) — but most of these games in this stretch, we’re not closing, we’re not executing, we’re not making good decisions, and it’s got to improve.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Draymond Green, who missed Tuesday’s game due to left calf tightness, was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Kerr (story via Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle). As Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area relays, Green said on his podcast that he’s a little concerned about the calf issue, but is confident in the medical staff and believes they’re getting ahead of it before it gets any worse.
Kerr expressed frustration with Brandin Podziemski during and after Tuesday’s loss for a pair of reckless turnovers – including one in a 5-on-4 situation in transition – and committing a third-quarter foul on a jump shooter, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic details. “I love Brandin,” Kerr said after addressing a couple specific plays that bothered him. “Hell of a player. Hell of a future ahead of him. But I hope he watches this clip because he needs to hear it. He’s gotta be a smart, tough, great decision-maker. He’s very capable of it. That’s his next step.”
Even with Green sidelined, Kerr trimmed his rotation a little on Tuesday, with Lindy Waters earning his first DNP-CD since November 12 after having logged double-digit minutes in each of Golden State’s past eight games. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area notes, it was a productive night for both Jonathan Kuminga, who scored 19 points as part of the starting lineup, as well as Moses Moody. After playing a season-low three minutes on Saturday, Moody scored 13 points in nearly 21 minutes and had a positive plus/minus rating.

Pacific Notes: Crowder, Beal, Podziemski, Knecht, Reddish

November 28th, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jae Crowder went from being out of the league at the beginning of the week to starting for the Kings on Wednesday. After signing with the team earlier in the day, Crowder was immediately inserted into the lineup. The veteran forward played 27 minutes and contributed eight points, four rebounds and a steal as Sacramento defeated Minnesota to snap a four-game losing streak.

“He knows what it takes to win,” coach Mike Brown told Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. “Not only that, he’s a grown a– man, and he can guard fours, he can guard fives. If somebody gets going that’s in that realm, he ain’t going to back down. He’s going to fight that much harder. You saw it tonight. You’re not going to stop Julius Randle, but you got to fight him.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Bradley Beal had another injury setback on Wednesday. The Suns wing left their game midway through the fourth quarter with left calf and ankle soreness. Beal was playing just his second game since a five-game absence due to a calf strain. “He had a couple different times where he stepped on somebody’s foot,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said, per David Brandt of The Associated Press. “We’ll hope for the best, but I have no update right now.”
Warriors second-year guard Brandin Podziemski has been seeking guidance from mental coach Dr. Graig Chow, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Podziemski has been battling a shooting slump, resulting in reduced playing time. He has shown signs of coming out of his funk, including a 12-point, five-assist performance against Oklahoma City on Wednesday. “I think I’ve let the mental piece of it get to me a little bit,” Podziemski said. “Early on, when I was struggling, the first five, 10 games, I thought it was more physical. Like maybe I wasn’t putting enough into it. But everybody around here knows I’m one of, if not, the hardest workers and I put a lot into it. So I just thought outside the box. ‘Mentally, how can I get to where I want to get to?’ … And Dr. (Chow) has helped, obviously, a lot of people around here. And it doesn’t hurt to try and ask him. So he helped me give me a lot of different things that help me be my authentic self.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick tweaked his lineup on Wednesday, reinserting rookie Dalton Knecht and moving Cam Reddish to the bench. Knecht scored a game-high 20 points as Los Angeles cruised past San Antonio to end a two-game slide. “I’m very proud of our group,” Redick said, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “The response was great. And it’s funny because it’s literally what I talked about with them before the game. It’s just you got to let go of the past. You got to let go of the recent past and you got to get on to the next thing. And like they’ve done already on several occasions, they’ve responded.”

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Christie, Draymond, Waters, Fox, Kings

November 16th, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing four of their first five road games of the season, the Lakers were encouraged by their performance on Friday in San Antonio, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Anthony Davis scored 40 points and LeBron James set a personal record with his fourth consecutive triple-double as L.A. pulled out a five-point victory over the Spurs.

“That’s what we want to do,” Davis said. “We want to be just as good of a road team as we are a home team. And we can’t do that if we don’t come out and compete. We’ve been just a different team when we’ve been out on the road. The way we compete, share the ball, play together at home, is totally different than when we get on the other side on the road. So we did that tonight.”

As Woike writes, the play of reserve wing Max Christie was another positive sign for the Lakers. After falling out of the rotation as of late, Christie logged a season-high 30 minutes on Friday with Rui Hachimura out due to a sprained right ankle and was a plus-23 in those minutes, contributing 11 points, three rebounds, and a pair of steals. the 21-year-old said it helped to know that head coach J.J. Redick still had faith in him.

“He has a lot of belief in a lot of us and I think he definitely has a lot of belief in me and I can appreciate that coming from a head coach,” Christie said. “I know you know how I can play and I think tonight was a very good example of that, when I’m just out there playing free, playing the way I know I can play instead of just trying to over-complicate things.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Draymond Green‘s foul on Zach Edey in the third quarter of the Warriors‘ win over the Grizzlies on Friday has been upgraded to a flagrant 1, the league announced today (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the Grizzlies were upset that the foul wasn’t reviewed at the time after Green appeared to pin Edey’s lower leg to his body using his elbow and forearm, causing the big man to trip (video link). “It definitely wasn’t a basketball play,” Edey said.
Lindy Waters earned his second start of the season for the Warriors on Friday night, but left the game late in the first half and didn’t return after hyperextending his left knee while blocking a shot (video link). Brandin Podziemski started the second half in Waters’ place, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox blew past his previous career high of 44 points by pouring in a franchise-high 60 in a loss to Minnesota on Friday. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee has the story, including quotes from Fox, his teammates, and head coach Mike Brown. “He’s an All-Star and the sky is the limit for him,” Brown said. “He knew we needed help. He put us on his back, and he almost carried us to the finish line, but he did everything in his power to get us there.”
The Kings will be missing a pair of stars on Saturday vs. Utah, as both Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan have been ruled out due to lower back tightness (Twitter link via Anderson). It’s DeRozan’s second consecutive missed game.

Warriors, Rockets Viewed As Two Teams Most Likely To Make Big In-Season Trade

November 16th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors and Rockets have been tabbed by scouts and executives as the two teams most likely to make a significant in-season trade, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Insider link). After big deals across the league dried up assets for most teams, not many have the combination of young players, draft picks and movable veterans that Golden State and Houston do.

Golden State has been at the center of several high-level trade rumors in the past few months, including for now-Sixers wing Paul George and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. Brandin Podziemski, 2023’s No. 19 overall pick, was deemed untouchable specifically in talks for Markkanen, which led to the Warriors and Jazz being unable to reach an agreement on any trade. Podziemski spoke openly about the process to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

“It was hard for me to process it mentally,” Podziemski said in an interview for the Hoop Collective podcast. “Everybody is hyping you up but at the same time tearing you down, like ‘Why didn’t we trade him? We should’ve traded him for X, Y, Z.’”

According to Windhorst, league executives are well aware that chairman Joe Lacob is a big fan of Podziemski’s and know that the price to acquire the Santa Clara product would be steep.

“You feel the respect and love from [GM] Mike Dunleavy and Joe Lacob and our front office and how much they value me after seeing just one year of what I could do,” Podziemski said. “And it’s not like I was being mentioned for another role player, these were All-Stars being talked about. … To see the Clippers and the Jazz to want me in return, it showed Golden State’s value for me to teams around the league.”

It’s unclear what kind of star players, if any, will be on the trade block this winter. As we wrote earlier Saturday, players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson aren’t available right now, and likely wouldn’t be as part of any mid-season move in any case. It’s early in the season, so teams are all still trying to sort out what their postseason chances are and how their talent is meshing. The Warriors at 10-2 might not feel inclined to make a move anyways.

Still, De’Anthony Melton ($12.8MM), Gary Payton II ($9.1MM) and Kevon Looney ($8.0MM) present three large expiring deals that could theoretically be used in trades. The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga weren’t able to agree to an extension before the season, so he could be an outgoing piece in any hypothetical trade. Golden State owns nearly all of its future first-round draft capital, giving the team plenty of ammo for a move.

As for the Rockets, the impressive young duo of Tari Eason and Amen Thompson has been made off limits in any trade talks, according to Windhorst. The Rockets at 9-4 are also not in any sort of rush to make a deal, per Windhorst, and Eason and Thompson have helped the team rank third in defensive efficiency in the early part of the season.

In theory, as noted by ESPN, the Rockets have strong assets that wouldn’t require moving a young piece. Steven Adams is on an expiring $12.6MM deal and Houston retained Jeff Green ($8.0MM), Jock Landale ($8.0MM), Jae’Sean Tate ($7.6MM) and Aaron Holiday ($4.7MM) this offseason despite their lack of playing time. Houston has several draft picks at their disposal from Phoenix that could be enticing. Reports this offseason suggested they may be interested in trading those picks back to the Suns for Kevin Durant. While Durant is almost certainly off the table, perhaps some of those assets could be used elsewhere.

Again, most of the biggest names across the league seem unlikely to change teams in the coming months. Some, like Markkanen, agreed to long-term contracts or were recently on the move, taking them off the shortlist. Others, like Durant, are playing at a high level for contenders. That leaves a small group of players who would be worth sacrificing significant assets for.

It’s worth noting that reporting in October indicated the Rockets were signaling they were unlikely to make a major in-season move. Still, one name that should be monitored for both Golden State and Houston is Heat forward Jimmy Butler. He didn’t sign an extension with the Heat this summer and is planning on declining his player option this coming offseason to test the waters.

Both the Warriors and Rockets have been mentioned as potential suitors for the star swingman. Regardless, it would be pretty surprising to see the Heat move Butler. Even facing the risk of him departing in free agency, Miami selling a star player for young assets runs counter to the organization’s modus operandi.

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