The Golden State Warriors are predicted to part ways with second-year guard Brandin Podziemski, previously reported as “untouchable,” in a potential blockbuster trade for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated made that bold prediction on the December 18 episode of “The Bill Simmons” podcast.
“I could see Golden State taking a swing,” Mannix said. “Like Golden State and Denver are the two teams that aren’t all that concerned [about] Jimmy Butler next year. It’s all about this year. You want to maximize a window. If Golden State can get him for some combination of Andrew Wiggins and Brandin Podziemski, then you’d probably jump at that if you’re the Warriors.”
The Warriors are among the four teams in Butler’s preferred list of destinations if the Heat are to trade him. And they have the combination of picks, young players, midsize and expiring contracts to entice the Heat.
The latest trade intel on Butler, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, is that the Heat have no urgency to trade the six-time NBA All-Star who led them twice to the NBA Finals over the last four years.
“As for Butler’s future, there is a growing consensus among the teams I talked to that unless the six-time All-Star becomes a distraction, or the Heat receive a trade offer they cannot turn down, Butler will be on the Heat’s roster once the deadline passes,” Marks wrote on December 23.
The 35-year-old Butler will be declining his $52.4 million player option for next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, which makes him a flight risk for any team that would trade for him midseason. The Heat star is seeking a two-year, $110 million extension.
Warriors ‘Overvalued’ Brandin Podziemski
Bill Simmons said the Warriors “overvalued” Podziemski when they kept him off the trade talks in their failed pursuits of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen in the offseason.
“I think it was one of the lessons of the summer,” Simmons said on his podcast. “That [the Warriors] making [Podziemski] basically untouchable, and he’s just been really bad this year. Not totally as [expletive] — he’s playing out of position, but he hasn’t been good.”‘
The Warriors made that decision based on Podziemski’s stellar rookie year when he supplanted Klay Thompson from the starting lineup on his way to becoming an All-Rookie First Team.
However, Podziemski had a nightmare start to his sophomore season, and his decision-making was even questioned by Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
But since Simmons made the interesting comment, Podziemski has started to turn things around, which coincided with Dennis Schröder‘s arrival from the Brooklyn Nets via trade.
Over the Warriors’ last two games, the 21-year-old Podziemski averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 63.6% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line.
Backlash Over Bizarre Steph Curry Comment
Podziemski faced a backlash among the Warriors fans following his poorly-framed comment to Kerr’s admonishment of the Warriors’ young players to learn how to play with Stephen Curry, the franchise’s longtime cornerstone.
“I don’t really think. I just play,” Podziemski told reporters. “When I’m out there, if I’m open — I shoot it. If not — make a play. I don’t really think too much into ‘I know we have Steph Curry on the court.’ If he’s open, I’m going to throw the ball to him. I don’t really look too deep into those messages.”
The criticisms from the fans led Podziemski to issue a statement on X to set the record straight.
“To clarify and for further context… Steph is Steph and I’ve been very open with my respect for him on and off the court. He’s a legend and a [GOAT] for a reason,” Podziemski said in the statement he posted on X on Sunday, December 22. “On the court, you have to be cautious against overthinking every possession.
“You have to trust your work, do what the coaches want you to do, and make a good IQ play,” he continued. “At times, that’s a pass, taking a shot, or even making a good screen to free up a teammate.
“So you just play and work to make good decisions consistently. A lot of times, that will end up being passing the ball to a wide-open Steph and/or teammate when the opportunity is there and just doing whatever it takes to help the team win.”
