The Golden State Warriors’ 2025-26 season outlook is complicated.
Kristaps Porzingis is the most talented and well-rounded center Steve Kerr has ever coached in the Bay and should be a dynamic pick-and-pop weapon alongside Stephen Curry when consistently healthy.
That said, it’s unlikely the Dubs have enough firepower to compete for a title this year, which should motivate the franchise to dominate the upcoming offseason. Blue Man Hoop’s Nick San Miguel believes that the Dubs could shock the NBA by completing a Brandin Podziemski-centered summer trade for a 10-time All-Star.
“Some Warriors fans might laugh at the idea of Brandin Podziemski having trade value, but the young player does have talent that other teams could find attractive,” Miguel wrote Tuesday.
“Obviously, there is still a lot of room for growth, but he is a shooter who can get hot, and he has skills that benefit the Warriors even if his defense is still shaky and his ball handling is questionable.”
“But now that the Warriors traded away Kuminga, Podziemski might be the most attractive young player the Warriors have to offer other teams. He’s a Milwaukee native, meaning if Golden State included him in a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for a certain Greek superstar (Giannis Antetokounmpo), that could make for a more attractive offer.”
There’s no question the Warriors exhaled once ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks had decided not to trade Antetokounmpo before the Feb. 5 deadline.
Why? Because in the days leading up to the final day of the trade season, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves had emerged as the favorites to land Antetokounmpo.
Without Antetokounmpo remaining with Milwaukee past the deadline, the Warriors will get an opportunity to entice the Bucks with a compelling offseason trade offer for the two-time MVP.
Although Podziemski is a fan-favorite in the Bay, there’s no question that with Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield gone (the Warriors traded him to the Atlanta Hawks for Porzingis), the Dubs would have no choice but to include him in a deal for Antetokounmpo.
Expect the Warriors to aggressively pursue the future Hall of Famer this summer.
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