Featured Columnist IVNovember 15, 2024
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Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski skilled conflicting feelings when he was the topic of commerce hypothesis within the offseason.
“It was onerous for me to course of it mentally,” Podziemski mentioned in a forthcoming interview on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast. “Everyone is hyping you up however on the similar time tearing you down, like ‘Why did not we commerce him? We must always’ve traded him for X, Y, Z.’”
The Warriors made a run at each Paul George and Lauri Markkanen over the summer season however in the end balked on the value it could’ve required to land both star. On Markkanen particularly, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported in August the Utah Jazz demanded Podziemski together with draft compensation from Golden State, which was deemed a “dangerous deal.”
As powerful because the commerce rumors have been, Podziemski mentioned in his interview he was heartened to see what the Warriors and out of doors suitors considered him.
“You are feeling the respect and love from [general manager] Mike Dunleavy and [owner] Joe Lacob and our entrance workplace and the way a lot they worth me after seeing only one 12 months of what I may do,” he mentioned. “And it isn’t like I used to be being talked about for an additional position participant, these have been All-Stars being talked about. … To see the Clippers and the Jazz to need me in return, it confirmed Golden State’s worth for me to groups across the league.”
Golden State remains to be ready for the 21-year-old to show a nook this season after he was an All-Rookie honoree in 2023-24. By way of 11 appearances, he is averaging 8.2 factors on 38.9 % taking pictures together with 3.4 assists.
Regardless of that, there isn’t any doubting the place the Warriors have Podziemski of their bigger long-term plans.
