The Golden State Warriors not only simplified next year's free agency with Brandin Podziemski's contract extension on Saturday, but they also made clearer their potential trade package for a move before February's mid-season deadline.
There's a chance that Podziemski could have become a mid-season trade candidate if he and the franchise couldn't come to an agreement before the October 19 deadline. However, the 23-year-old's five-year, $110 million deal acts as a poison-pill contract that now makes Podziemski effectively untradable until next offseason.
Warriors' trade deadline package becomes clear after Brandin Podziemski deal
With Yaxel Lendeborg exploding for 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against the Kings on Saturday night, it's already clear that the Warriors won't be trading their 11th overall pick unless it's part of a package for a legitimate top-five or top-10 player in the league — and that's extremely unlikely.
That means Golden State's two most valuable young players will almost assuredly be on the team past the deadline, leaving future draft capital as really the only major assets the front office could put alongside expiring contracts in order to make a major move in the coming months.
The Warriors have Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis (only $3 million guaranteed beyond this season) to use before the deadline. That means that any package is likely to revolve around one or a combination of those three players along with draft capital as the key pieces to a trade.
Golden State have the likes of Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton as smaller mid-tier salaries, but none of that quartet are going to add much to a trade from a value standpoint outside being matching salary. At a stretch, Santos may hold value given his incredibly team-friendly deal, and Moody would have if not for his devastating knee injury.
Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg could push Warriors towards a trade
Podziemski and Lendeborg may not be part of any completed trades before the deadline, but they could certainly influence what the front office does and whether they're ultimately willing to make a major move.
As things currently stand, there's a genuine chance the Warriors simply won't be good enough to warrant a big trade taking place, and the front office may just view Butler as their big mid-season acquisition. However, if the team is better than expected on the back of an individual leap from Podziemski and major impact from Lendeborg, perhaps Golden State will believe themselves close enough to justify a huge move that lifts them into championship contention.
With Podziemski and Lendeborg locked into contracts for the next six and four years respectively, it will be fascinating to see whether the Warriors are any more open to using their draft capital in a trade before the deadline.
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