Brandin Podziemski relishes trade rumors involving him

Brandin Podziemski relishes trade rumors involving him

The Golden State Warriors have been one team closely linked to Utah Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen throughout the offseason. The Jazz, on the other hand, reportedly want second-year guard Brandin Podziemski in the deal–among other assets, including steep draft capital.

The Warriors’ brass is very fond of Podziemski, who finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023-24. Teams typically like their own young assets more than other teams; that’s not uncommon. Thus, there’s an impasse in any traction for a trade for Markkanen, who’s eligible for an extension on Aug. 6.

In the age of social media, rumors are a lot more readily visible for players and their acquaintances to see. That can affect some mentally–negatively–though for Podziemski, it’s the exact opposite.

“It’s very fun for me actually. I love it,” Podziemski said on “The Dinner Table” podcast in late July, according to Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s cool to see different things every day — people’s comments, and if I should be [traded] or shouldn’t be.

“For me, from a basketball perspective, social media aside, I try to put that away and just work on what I can control right now.”

Podziemski is using the trade buzz as motivation heading into his second season.

“No one likes to admit it, but everybody sees … the good and the bad,” Podziemski said. “For me, I think the bad can just be used as motivation. Obviously, my name has been in the Markkanen trade a lot, so if the trade doesn’t go through and I’m still here, to have a good second year and be like, ‘Good thing we didn’t trade him,’ would be cool for me.”

The 6-foot-5 guard, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was outstanding as a rookie, averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 45.4 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range with a 54.0 true-shooting percentage. He started in 28 of his 74 games, posting 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 29.8 minutes across those 28 starts.

Podziemski wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work defensively either, drawing an NBA-most 38 charges. He will presumably compete with Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton for the starting nod again this year. His role is malleable offensively; he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be impactful, though he can be a viable secondary playmaker and screener alongside Stephen Curry.

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