The Golden State Warriors are a hard team to figure out. On the surface, they want to maximize Stephen Curry’s championship window. A two-time MVP and four-time NBA champion with just two seasons remaining on his contract, why not? Especially when the 36-year-old is now synonymous with the Warriors franchise.
Yet, the moves that Golden State made this offseason —as well as the ones that they didn’t —fly in the face of that.
They were a bit too willing to let Klay Thompson, one-half of the Splash Brothers, walk away. They let Draymond Green’s influence stop them from making at least one blockbuster trade. At least that’s what the highly vocal veteran has said about the matter. In addition, they’re so set on keeping Brandin Podziemski that they lost out on Paul George and Lauri Markkanen.
Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski Talks Offseason Trade Rumors
In a vacuum, each of those situations calls the competence of their front office into question. However, it’s Podziemski part in them that’s most alarming. For some, Warriors owner Joe Lacob touting Podziemski’s All-Star potential was maddening. Whether Lacob believes that to be the case though, George and Markkanen have already been named All-Stars.
“We think we have a future All-Star”
Joe Lacob with high praise for Podz 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FY9QBWscR8
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 18, 2024
If the goal is to optimize the roster while Curry is still playing at an MVP-caliber level, what gives?
Most people will likely never know exactly what Lacob or Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. were thinking. However, rarely one to bite his tongue, Podziemski has chimed in on the subject. Indeed, the 2023 No. 19 pick says that even before the 2024 NBA Draft, he was told by Dunleavy that he wasn’t going to be traded.
“A lot of these other teams are calling about you,” Podziemski recalls Dunleavy telling him, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “They want you, but you’re not going anywhere. You’re ours.”
“He told me, ‘You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re a priority here,’” the 21-year-old adds.
An Added Layer Of Pressure
Podziemski, as many players would, appreciated his organization’s transparency. He’s likely even happier about their belief in him, though he didn’t mind being desired by other teams.
“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.”
It’s not like Podziemski can’t read the room though. He understands that the outside perception is that the Warriors chose him over current stars. “From a fan perspective, from a media perspective, there is this looking at the front office kind of crazy,” Podziemski admits.
“Like, ‘You didn’t make any trades? You want to keep Brandin? Why him?’ There are questions that obviously the public and the media has. I see my fair share of it. It’s cool, and it’s not. It’s cool to see you’re valued by another organization in the NBA for such a good player like Markkanen. But at the same time, now that the trade didn’t go through, people on social media look at it like it’s my fault. I don’t have anything to do with it. But it’s cool.”
There probably aren’t many people who believe it’s Podziemski fault, so to speak. He has one year of NBA experience and is unlikely to have been pulling any strings. The onus falls on the Warriors’ executives; the real decision-makers. Even Green can only be blamed to a certain extent because teams aren’t obligated to let him play assistant GM.
Nonetheless, it’s a story that’ll likely follow Podziemski throughout his career. It also places a lot of pressure on him and the front office.
If Podziemski hits the dreaded sophomore wall, stagnates long-term, or worse, Dunleavy may be out of a job. Lacob will be able to insulate himself from real consequences, as most owners are. However, it’ll damage his reputation. Podziemski may suffer a similar fate, traded and defamed.
