The Golden State Warriors are putting all their cards on the table. The team has made its bold offseason plan very clear, as it involves signing LeBron James in free agency and swinging a trade with the Washington Wizards to reunite him with his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis.
The most difficult part of this plan for the Warriors is likely going to involve convincing the Wizards to trade Davis, and even if they can, it is going to be a costly deal for Golden State. While a lot has to happen in order for this deal to actually go down, should the Dubs end up pulling the trigger on this trade, it sounds like it may require them to move on from Brandin Podziemski.
Brandin Podziemski Linked to Warriors’ Anthony Davis Trade Rumors
When Golden State agreed to a two-year contract extension with head coach Steve Kerr earlier this offseason, it put a timeline on itself to build a championship contender. It also signaled that the front office was comfortable throwing caution to the wind in order to maximize Stephen Curry’s closing title window.
There’s not much more you can do to go all-in than finding a way to reunite James and Davis. At this point, Davis is the more valuable player of this duo, even though he’s coming off a disappointing season that saw him get traded and only play in 20 total games. When he was on the court, Davis looked like himself (20.4 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 50.6 FG%), but his consistent injury woes are still a concern.
Even with all that being said, Davis is going to be an expensive trade target for Golden State. The good news is that the team seems willing to do what it takes to bring him to town, but if this trade were to end up taking place, reports have indicated that Podziemski, who is one of the Warriors’ brightest young players, could be headed the other way.
“The Wizards gave up first-round picks in 2026 (No. 30) and a 2030 (GSW top-20 protected) 1st. If they were to entertain trading AD, the Wizards would absolutely want two firsts back, and from the Warriors’ standpoint, it could also lead to Brandin Podziemski being involved,” NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported in a post on X.
Would Trading Brandin Podziemski for Anthony Davis Be Worth It?
GettyBrandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors reacts during an NBA game.
With Jonathan Kuminga no longer in town, Podziemski is the best young player the Warriors have at their disposal currently. He is fresh off the best season of his young career (13.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 45.5 FG%), and at just 23 years old, he fits the Wizards’ timeline much better than Davis does.
If Golden State wants to go all-in when it comes to maximizing Curry’s championship window, moving a guy like Podziemski makes a lot of sense. The Warriors are going to be in trouble one way or another once Curry retires, and Podziemski likely isn’t going to single-handedly change that. Davis is an expensive target, but the Dubs mean business, which is why it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them successfully execute their bold offseason vision.
Report: Brandin Podziemski Could Be Included in Warriors’ Anthony Davis Trade