The Golden State Warriors have been rumored to be interested in Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz. A deal has yet to come to light, and that could be because of the Warriors’ lack of interest in trading Brandin Podziemski.
Podziemski, an All-Rookie selection last season, showed he has a chance to be an impact player for the Warriors moving forward. However, if they want to land Markkanen or any other players who could help them win with Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level, it might require them to move him.
There’s a scenario where Podziemski could do that, but it’s not certain. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report doesn’t believe Podziemski growing into that player is far-fetched, which is why he ranked him as the No. 2 trade asset in the NBA.
“Podziemski, 21, already does a bunch of things really well. He will come in and rebound among the trees. He will cut through defenses with precision timing and purposeful paths,” Favale wrote on July 30. “He will check star guards when called upon and make them work to get the ball. He will slide in for charges. He will keep the offense moving, as both a driver and passer.
“This functional balance is reflected in the numbers. Only six other rookies have ever matched or exceeded Podziemski’s defensive rebounding (16.7), assist (18.1) and steal (1.5) rates while tallying at least many minutes (1,968): Alvan Adams (1975-76), Larry Bird (1979-80), Lamar Odom (1999-00), Ben Simmons (2017-18), Luka Dončić (2018-19) and Victor Wembanyama (2023-24).”
Warriors Owner Believes He’s Podziemski Is a Future All-Star
Podziemski will enter his second season with lofty expectations, especially if the team doesn’t trade him for Markkanen. His numbers don’t jump off the screen, averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, but he does many little things on the court that help a team win.
Joe Lacob, the Golden State Warriors owner, was very impressed with how he played last year and believes that he could become an All-Star one day.
“He was a revelation, to be quite honest,” Lacob said on ESPN on July 17. “Steve had troubles getting him off the floor. He had to have him on the floor he was so good. He does so many things well. He’s ultra confident, he’s got an NBA body, he can get wherever he wants. He obviously can shoot threes. He can drive, he can pass. What can’t he do?
“We’re really excited. We think we’ve got a future All-Star. We really do.”
Why Trading Him Makes Sense
While Podziemski has plenty of potential and has already proven to be an above-average professional, if the Golden State Warriors could land Markkanen for him, it’s something they should think about doing for multiple reasons.
Not only would Markkanen give them a better chance of winning right now, but Podziemski being that good one day would be the best case scenario.
Lacob believes he could be an All-Star one day, which he might not be wrong about, but Markkanen is already an All-Star. They know what they would get out of him, unlike Podziemski, who still has to prove a lot more than Markkanen does.
If the idea is to maximize Curry’s window, moving some of their young assets for a win-now player should be the plan. Factor in that Markkanen is only 27 years old and it makes even more sense, as he could be a big part of their future, too.
