The Golden State Warriors have to be assessing their trade options ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February. One name who could be on the way out is guard Brandin Podziemski who gives the franchise an opportunity to rectify a mistake by trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Podziemski can be a polarizing player amongst the Warriors fanbase. When he is on, he can be a really potent member of the offense. Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bulls was a great example as he led the team with 21 points and made five of his nine shots from three-point range.
Warriors can move on from Podziemski in swap with the Bucks
However, he can just as easily have a rough night where he dribbles the ball into traffic and makes sloppy mistakes on defense that can lead head coach Steve Kerr to turn to other options.
It is exactly that sort of inconsistency that could lead the Warriors to move on from him. He has enough upside as a 22-year-old that a team would be willing to take a chance on him, and his overall numbers on the season aren't that bad in shooting 44% from the field and 39% from three for over 12 points per game in just under 28 minutes.
The potential is there, but the lack of consistency may make the Warriors want to move on as they try to get Stephen Curry one more title before his career is over. Podziemski is a Milwaukee native so it would make sense to send him to a city he has ties to. Even though the Warriors have been connected to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, maybe the Warriors could send Podziemski to Milwaukee in exchange for former Warriors guard Ryan Rollins?
Rollins is having a breakout season for the Bucks, averaging over 17 points per game and shooting almost 48% from the field. The Warriors may already have a solid backup point guard in Pat Spencer, but it wouldn’t hurt to add another proven shooter to the team especially with the Warriors always looking for offense when Curry is off the floor.
The Warriors originally sent Rollins away in the Jordan Poole trade a few years back. That trade was mostly wise in retrospect as Poole has struggled in his post-Warriors career, but Rollins has turned into a solid player and even torched Golden State earlier this season in Milwaukee.
However, the Bucks may decide they like the promise of Rollins who himself is just 23 and has a lot of upside, leaving the Warriors likely needing to include more to get a deal done. There's also the fact Steve Kerr and his coaching staff like Podziemski. He isn't afraid to bench him if he's not performing, but they are willing to give the third-year guard chances that other players may not be afforded.
We know Podziemski has had a habit of getting himself in to trouble with brash comments that he does not always back up, so maybe engineering a trade that sent him to the Bucks in exchange for Rollins would give him a fresh start while rectifying a past mistake.