During the offseason, the Warriors relentlessly pursued Lauri Markkanen and were engaged in trade talks with the Jazz to acquire the All-Star forward. However, the deal fell through because the Warriors refused to trade guard Brandin Podziemski.
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Warriors fans are upset about the front office’s reluctance to include the 21-year-old in a deal for the Jazz star and seemingly took their frustration out on the sophomore star. In an interview with The Athletic, Podziemski said,
“From a fan perspective, from a media perspective, there is this looking at the front office kind of crazy. 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… 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.”
The guard added that he had no control over trade talks and was just as powerless as the fans. He claimed he was glad that the Jazz were adamant about wanting him in exchange for a player of Markkanen’s caliber. However, he added that he feels it’s unfair that he’s being targeted on social media after the trade did not go through.
With Curry turning 36 in March, Warriors fans demand that the team make moves to help the guard finish his career on a team capable of contending for the title. However, the franchise is unwilling to entertain the possibility of parting ways with Podziemski, who they believe will be a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future.
The Warriors have high hopes for Brandin Podziemski
With the young guard’s name being constantly brought up as an asset the Warriors could trade to acquire a star, he naturally felt uncertain about his future. However, the Warriors’ front office assured him he’d be staying in the Bay Area for a long time. Podziemski revealed,
“[Warriors owner Joe Lacob] told me, ‘You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re a priority here’. 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.”
He also appreciated Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy keeping him in the loop throughout their failed pursuits of Markkanen and Paul George. The 21-year-old said,
“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.”
While Podziemski is ecstatic that the Warriors opted to keep him, the pressure will now be on the young guard to prove they made the right choice. With Klay Thompson leaving the team to join the Mavericks, the sophomore star is expected to feature heavily in the upcoming season. It remains to be seen whether he repays the franchise’s belief in him or they are left to rue their choice.
