Brandin Podziemski came off being named to the All-Rookie First Team to hear his name in trade rumors all summer, with the Warriors trying to make moves to acquire Lauri Markkanen and Paul George. Podziemski opened up on how he dealt with the trade rumors, revealing that Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. promised him that he wouldn't be traded.
“'A lot of these other teams are calling about you. 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'. 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.”
Podz also opened up on the fan hate he has received since it was revealed that the Warriors refused to trade him in a deal for Markkanen.
“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. 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.”
Podziemski averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season as a rookie. His role grew throughout the season, as he was played across positions until he earned Klay Thompson's starting spot in the backcourt alongside Stephen Curry.
He's expected to continue in that role this season and take a major leap in production. Podziemski also revealed that he's looking to average 8-10 three-point attempts a game next season after shooting 3.2 attempts on 38.5% as a rookie.
“They want me to take anywhere (from) eight to 10 per game. That’s what they told me. All different types: off-dribble handoffs, off-ball screens, catch-and-shoot. I think I can get to that amount... Now with Klay being gone, Chris (Paul) being gone, someone is going to have to handle the ball a little bit more. I think I’m more than capable of doing that. Given that, I think it leads me to have more 3s.”
Klay Thompson shot 38.7% from three on 9.0 attempts per game last season, so that sort of elite shooting needs to be replicated by someone. The Warriors signed Buddy Hield to do that, but Podziemski's age and defensive ability mean the team has more invested in Podz embracing that role.
The 21-year-old will need to rise to the occasion next season because if he takes a major leap in production, the Warriors could have hopes of accelerating into another championship window before Stephen Curry fades into the sunset.
