Acquiring a veteran point guard was still seen by many as a big need for the Golden State Warriors in free agency, but Malcolm Brogdon's move to the New York Knicks on Friday has seemingly destroyed that possibility.
It leaves the Warriors unlikely to sign another certified point guard beyond 37-year-old franchise superstar Stephen Curry, and in doing so showcases a huge show of faith in youngster Brandin Podziemski.
Brandin Podziemski could get more on-ball opportunity next season
Golden State made a similar decision last offseason when they chose to enter without a legitimate backup point guard, something that backfired significantly given Podziemski had an underwhelming start that drew the ire of fans.
The Warriors had hoped to address that by acquiring Dennis Schroder in December, only for the veteran to struggle immensely during his short stint. Fortunately Jimmy Butler proved the saviour, helping to turn around Golden State's season and so too Podziemski's as the 22-year-old reclaimed a starting role and found form after the All-Star break.
With Curry and Butler still leading the offense, Podziemski should be able to fit back into a similar role where he proved incredibly effective. But what about the inevitable nights where one or both of the veteran stars are either resting or injured? Podziemski could be thrust back into more of an on-ball role, something he's yet to completely prove himself capable of.
Curry's injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second-round of the playoffs was certainly proof of that. While Podziemski had his moments which included a 28-point, six-rebound, four-assist performance in Game 5, he otherwise struggled in shooting less than 34% from the floor and 30.4% from 3-point range over the course of the series.
By not signing another veteran point guard who could lead a second unit in Curry or Butler's absence, the Warriors are clearly comfortable in giving Podziemski extra responsibility if required and will hope there's more natural improvement from the former 19th overall pick.
Generating offense without Curry on the floor is nonetheless going to remain a concern for Golden State, proving one of the major arguments as to why retaining Jonathan Kuminga might actually prove worthwhile.
Not having another veteran lead ball-handler and playmaker as insurance could be a major mistake in the front office's roster construction, but it also sets Podziemski up with a clear path to prove himself and develop into the sort of player both he and the Warriors envision.