Brandin Podziemski shared a candid response to the rumors that the Warriors could have included him in a deal for a superstar player this offseason.
In an exclusive with Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Podziemski expressed his feelings on the rumored trades that never materialized in Golden State.
“From a fan perspective, from a media perspective, there is this looking at the front office kind of crazy,” Podziemski said. “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.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“It’s cool to see you’re valued by another organization in the NBA for such a good player like [Lauri] 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.”
While reports had surfaced that the Warriors were interested in Markkanen, talks did not progress as Golden State was unwilling to part with younger players such as Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga.
The Warriors will face the tough task of replacing franchise cornerstone Klay Thompson, but Podziemski could help fill that void. The 21-year-old was one of the biggest surprises from the 2023-24 NBA season, starting in 28 games for Golden State and making the NBA All-Rookie Team.
The hope is that Podziemski, Kuminga, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis can continue developing into reliable scoring threats to backup Steph Curry. With no major trades this offseason, Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy believe in the potential of this young group of players, particularly Podziemski.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
