3-Year NBA Vet Gets Warriors Trade Ranking Worth Watching

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The future of Brandin Podziemski on the Golden State Warriors could be considered questionable heading into the guard’s fourth season.

While Podziemski was expected to be a face of the future in Golden State for years to come, he was frequently mentioned as a possible trade piece throughout the previous NBA season.

Seeing as though Podziemski is entering the final year of his rookie deal, that could end up being the case in 2026-2027 as well.

Where Does Brandin Podziemski Rank For Warriors Trade Tiers?

Warriors On SI’s Joey Akeley looked at several players, contracts, and picks in order to rank the Warriors’ top assets for the trade market.

Podziemski comes in at No. 5 out of seven assets.

“Podz has value as a shooter, rebounder and team defender. But he isn’t dynamic as an on-ball creator, and he isn’t athletic enough to defend the best ball-handlers,” Akeley wrote.

“Due to those weaknesses, some teams might not value him that much. Others may see an opportunity to trade for him with the hope they can use his restricted free agency against him to get him on a bargain contract.”

Ahead of the veteran guard are multiple picks, the rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, and of course, Stephen Curry.

Which Way Should The Warriors Lean?

Podziemski is experienced, but still young enough to keep close in a rebuilding situation if the Warriors suddenly decided to take that route.

The veteran guard out of Santa Clara is 23-years-old with 220 games under his belt. Last year, Podziemski shot 45.5% from the field and 37.1% from three to average 13.8 points per game.

He also came down with 5.1 rebounds, passed out 3.7 assists, and came up with 1.1 steals per game in all 82 matchups.

Podziemski hasn’t played himself into a major extension, so the 2026-2027 season is critical for him from a solo standpoint. If the Warriors are sold on his future, locking him up earlier would be for the better.

It’s clear that the Warriors don’t intend to change their direction–and they want to fight for a playoff spot in 2027. If there is a rebuilding team with a valuable win-now piece, then Podziemski should at least be in the conversation.