Even the most loyal Golden State Warriors fan would admit that Brandin Podziemski hasn’t developed at the pace the franchise expected him to. At the end of his rookie season, the southpaw was widely heralded as Stephen Curry’s successor. Three years in, he has seemingly plateaued into an average rotational piece.
With Podz set to hit restricted free agency next year, the Warriors may be better off moving him before they have to grapple with a Jonathan Kuminga-type situation.
One Warriors trade idea doing the rounds would see the Bay Area franchise part with Podziemski and Moses Moody, who is expected to miss the first half of the 2026-27 season with injury, for a haul from the Houston Rockets.
Warriors Trade Idea Dumps Podziemski
Warriors would receive: Steven Adams, Reed Sheppard
Rockets would receive: Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody
The hypothetical move stands to help both teams, as we explain below.
Why the Rockets Do it
The return of Fred VanVleet from injury means Reed Sheppard will likely go back to a bench role after the young sharpshooter had a difficult playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the six-game series, the former No. 3 overall pick averaged 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals, but shot a paltry 30% from the field and 29% from three. While he averaged 32.2 minutes, Sheppard lost the faith of Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who preferred to end games with either Tari Eason or Josh Okogie.
Much like the Warriors and Podz, the Rockets may run into a similar financial issue with Sheppard, who has only one more guaranteed year left before hitting restricted free agency in 2028. After extending Eason recently, the Rockets are also on the clock with Amen Thompson, who will hit restricted free agency in 2027.
Moody, who has two years left on a budget-friendly deal, isn’t a huge risk for the Rockets in this scenario. Ditto with Podz, whom they can simply waive next year.
Why the Warriors Do It
Reed Sheppard has a lot of untapped potential, with some analysts projecting him to be an elite sharpshooter for years in the NBA. As a shooter, who better to harness your craft under than Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter in the history of the sport?
For all his flaws — including his defensive lapses and poor late-game decision-making — Sheppard is one of the purest young shooters in the NBA. In two seasons, he has drained 275 threes at a clip of 38.3% — elite numbers for a 22-year-old. A movement shooter who can also shoot off the dribble, he will fit nicely in Golden State’s system.
As for Steven Adams, the Warriors could use some interior presnece after finishing 22nd in rebounding and 26th in blocked shots last season. Adams will also bring the sort of toughness and physicality that the Warriors sorely miss when defensive anchor Draymond Green goes to the bench. In recent years, they’re unable to impose themselves defensively even when Green, 36, has been on the court.
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